Doctoral research presentation: Long Tran '20

Join us for an inspiring talk on groundbreaking research and its impact on global health. Long Binh Tran '20, a biochemistry graduate and 2019 Texas Medical Center participant who recently earned his Ph.D. from Baylor School of Medicine, will present his doctoral research.

About the presentation

Zika virus (ZIKV) can cross the placenta during pregnancy and cause serious birth defects, including microcephaly. We found that ZIKV infection promotes the formation of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), tiny intercellular bridges that enable direct cell-to-cell viral transport and help the virus evade host immune defenses. We identified the viral protein NS1 as a key driver of TNT formation and showed that this process depends on interactions with host mitochondria. In pregnant mouse models, TNT-deficient ZIKV mutant showed significantly reduced viral transmission to the placenta and fetus, markedly improving fetal outcomes. These findings suggest that ZIKV exploits TNTS and mitochondrial machinery to facilitate placental transmission, highlighting TNT formation and mitochondrial pathways as potential therapeutic targets for preventing congenital infection.