Innovative Zebrafish Model Offers Insights into How Zika Virus Affects Brain Development

Zika virus (ZIKV) remains a significant public health challenge, especially due to its capacity to cause severe developmental issues in the brains of fetuses when pregnant women are infected. The most concerning complication is microcephaly, a condition characterized by an abnormally small head size in newborns. Despite ongoing research, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for ZIKV, primarily because the detailed mechanisms of how the virus impacts neural development are not fully understood.

Traditionally, mouse models have been used to study ZIKV infections; however, these come with notable limitations, including high costs, ethical concerns, and technical challenges, which constrain the scope and scale of research.

At the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), researchers led by Professors Laurent Chatel-Chaix and Kessen Patten, experts in virology and neurodegenerative diseases, respectively, have developed an alternative approach utilizing zebrafish. This innovative zebrafish model enables scientists to observe ZIKV effects at very early stages of development across different biological levels—from whole organism to tissues, cells, and molecules.

Collaborating with Ph.D. student Aïcha Sow, who specializes in virology and immunology, the team has conducted groundbreaking research that reveals how ZIKV impacts brain formation. Their study, published in PLOS Pathogens, offers valuable insights into the pathogen’s mechanism, including the disruption of neuron development and the loss of neural stem cells.

The zebrafish’s rapid development, transparent body, and amenability to genetic modification make it a powerful research tool. Sow’s experiments demonstrated that ZIKV causes developmental anomalies similar to those observed in mammals—such as reduced head size, neuronal damage, and ventricle enlargement in the brain. Notably, she identified that expressing a single Zika virus protein in zebrafish reproduces many features of infection, a discovery that underscores the protein’s role in neuropathogenesis.

The researchers highlight the zebrafish’s suitability for drug testing and genetic studies, which could accelerate the discovery of effective treatments. The model’s ability to allow high-throughput experimentation with hundreds of larvae simultaneously offers a significant advantage over traditional mammalian models.

This research not only deepens our understanding of how Zika virus impacts neural development but also opens new pathways for testing antiviral therapies. By leveraging this model, scientists hope to develop strategies to prevent or mitigate the neurological impairments caused by ZIKV.

For more details, see the full study: published in PLOS Pathogens. Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-zebrafish-zika-virus-disrupts-early.html