httpswwwucsfedunews201611405031zikafetalbraintissuerespondsp

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/11/405031/zika-fetal-brain-tissue-responds-popular-antibiotic

1. (1 paragraph or more)Summarize article/report below

2. In another paragraph, evaluate the science and the accuracy of the science reporting. with the following questions

Does the science appear to be well designed and executed? Science accurate? What is the basis for the story? What is the affiliation of the scientist? What is the funding source for the study? If the hypothesis test is a correlation? Was the sample of individuals in the experiment a good cross selection of the population? Was the data collected from a relatively large number of study subjects? Were participants blind to the group they belonged to and/or the “expected outcome” of the study? Is the science reporting balanced and accurate?

3. Another paragraph with the following questions Were data collectors and/or analysts blinded to the group membership of participants in the study? Is the science reporting balanced and accurate? Did the news reporter put the study in the context of other research on the same subject? What audience is this article addressed to – who would care about this topic? Why did this topic gain media attention?

Solution

1. summary:

Researchers at University of California in San Fransico found out a particular type of fetal brain cells that are attacked by the Zika virus and could be treated with Azithromycin that could be used in pregnancy. It is estimated that 1-13% of women get infected with Zika virus in early pregnancy. The researchers ahve identified a protein that could be correlated with the cells that the Zika virus infects. The protein is called AXL. The type of brain cells having this protein and vulnerable to the Zika virus are the neural stem cells and the progenitpor cells. other cells which are vulnerable are the imuune cells or microglia.

The scientists have also started a drug trial which has screened 2,177 drugs to block Zika infection. This research was led by Joseph DeRisi. He hopes to launch a clinical trial in Brazil to see if Azithromycin will lower the risk of fetal harm in pregnant women with Zika. Researches in Kreigstein lab also tried to further study the AXL protein\'s correlation with Zika virus and tried to knock out the protein from brain cells. They concluded that such cells were able to block the Zika virus. They also tried to relate it with genetic malformations of the brain and said that al already defected brain would further shrink up due to the infection. They also found that apart from mosquito bites, Zika could be transmitted sexually.