Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged as
a global health threat due to
its unexpected causal link to devastating neurological disorders such
as fetal microcephaly; however, to date, no approved vaccine or specific
treatment is available for ZIKV infection. Here we develop a biomimetic
nanodecoy (ND) that can trap ZIKV, divert ZIKV away from its intended
targets, and inhibit ZIKV infection. The ND, which is composed of
a gelatin nanoparticle core camouflaged by mosquito medium host cell
membranes, effectively adsorbs ZIKV and inhibits ZIKV replication
in ZIKV-susceptible cells. Using a mouse model, we demonstrate that
NDs significantly attenuate the ZIKV-induced inflammatory responses
and degenerative changes and thus improve the survival rate of ZIKV-challenged
mice. Moreover, by trapping ZIKV, NDs successfully prevent ZIKV from
passing through physiologic barriers into the fetal brain and thereby
mitigate ZIKV-induced fetal microcephaly in pregnant mice. We anticipate
that this study will provide new insights into the development of
safe and effective protection against ZIKV and various other viruses
that threaten public health.
MWNT induced phase and stability engineering of a strained Co-doped WSe2/MWNT heterostructure for enhanced HER in both acidic and alkaline environments.
We report herein a highly efficient Cucatalyzed protocol for the conversion of aliphatic carboxylic acids to the corresponding difluoromethylated analogues. This robust, operationally simple and scalable protocol tolerates a variety of functional groups and can convert a diverse array of acid-containing complex molecules to the alkyl-CF 2 H products. Mechanistic studies support the involvement of alkyl radicals.
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