Singapore scientists have succeeded in mapping out the structures of the dengue and Zika virus strains – a crucial milestone in the development of treatments for the potentially deadly diseases.
Researchers from A*Star’s (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), together with scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and A*Star’s Bioinformatics Institute mapped the long genetic materials of four dengue and four Zika virus strains.
They studied the viruses’ activities and vital parts to identify portions of their genetic material that could be targeted for treatments.
Dr Wan Yue, a principal investigator at GIS and lead author of the study, said: “One needs to understand the shape and mechanism of a lock, in order to design a key that can open it. Similarly, mapping the shapes and structures of the dengue and Zika viruses will boost understanding of their biology, and contribute significantly towards designing drug treatments targeted at these viruses.”
Both dengue and Zika are flaviviruses spread by the Aedes mosquito. There are no effective treatments for either disease.
