Scientists find antibodies may be effective in protecting fetus from Zika
A team of scientists may have discovered a way,using the body’s natural defenses, to protect unborn babies in the womb from the harmful effects of the Zika virus,which has racked nations all over the world from the Americas, to the Caribbean and some parts of Asia.
The researchers used an immune system particle known as a monoclonal antibody that homes in particularly on the virus. The antibody therapy is made using blood cells from people who have recently had and fought off Zika.
In a study conducted on mice, the researchers found that it significantly helped decrease the amount of Zika virus that circulated in the mother’s blood and crossed the placenta into the baby, reducing the damage caused by the virus to the developing fetuses.
At birth, there was less damage to the placenta and these baby mice were much bigger than others whose mothers had not received the antibody treatment.
Apart from protecting the developing fetuses, the monoclonal antibody was found to be helpful in protecting adult pregnant mice against the deadly infection.
Lead researcher Michael Diamond, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri in the US said that the research proved that Zika infection during pregnancy is treatable.
Speaking on the topic, Dr. Diamond said, “This is the first antiviral that has been shown to work in pregnancy to protect developing fetuses from Zika virus. This is proof of principle that Zika virus during pregnancy is treatable, and we already have a human antibody that treats it, at least in mice.”
The researchers stress that years of testing will be needed to see if it could be a safe and effective treatment for pregnant women.
Transmitted by mosquitoes or through sex, Zika virus normally does not cause any serious disease. However, it causes untreatable birth defects in babies who get infected in the womb. In adults with weak immune system, it can cause rare neurological syndromes.
