Zika virus has been a major concern in recent years due to its ability to cause neurological disorders, fetal abnormalities, and even fetal death when contracted during pregnancy. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University, have shed light on how the virus manages to cross the placenta, which acts as a protective barrier for the developing fetus.
Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals that Zika virus employs a stealthy strategy to spread within placental cells without triggering a significant immune response. By building underground tunnels known as tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), the virus is able to transfer viral particles to neighboring cells undetected.
Dr. Indira Mysorekar, co-senior author of the study, emphasizes the importance of understanding how Zika virus navigates through the placenta to reach the fetus in order to prevent and control the devastating effects it can have. The researchers found that a Zika protein called NS1 plays a key role in inducing the formation of these TNTs, creating a pathway for the virus to infect new cells.
Interestingly, the TNTs not only transport viral particles but also RNA, proteins, and mitochondria between infected and neighboring cells. This transfer of mitochondria, the cell’s energy source, may provide an advantage to the virus by promoting its replication. Additionally, the researchers suggest that using TNTs allows Zika virus to evade the activation of large-scale antiviral responses, ultimately protecting the virus from the immune system.
The findings of this study offer valuable insights that could lead to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies against Zika virus transmission through TNTs. By understanding the mechanisms behind the virus’s covert spread within the placenta, researchers hope to find ways to disrupt this stealth transmission mode and protect pregnant women and their babies from the harmful effects of Zika virus.
Key members of the research team include Steven J. Bark, Deepak Kumar from Baylor College of Medicine, and Shay A. Toner, Joyce Jose, and co-senior author Anoop Narayanan from Pennsylvania State University. The study, titled “Zika virus NS1 drives tunneling nanotube formation for mitochondrial transfer and stealth transmission in trophoblasts,” was published in Nature Communications.
For more information, you can access the full study at DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56927-2. This research was made possible by the collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine and Pennsylvania State University, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in understanding and combatting infectious diseases like Zika virus.
