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In overlooked cellular connections, this researcher charted Zika's path to the placenta
A few months into his postdoctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine in 2021, Rafael Michita made a curious observation. Peering at Zika viruses infiltrating placenta cells under a microscope, he noticed thin filaments connecting infected cells to their neighbors.
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Michita had come to Baylor from Brazil, where he had specialized in genomic studies correlating genetic variation to pregnancy disorders. Although this project was his first deep experience in the world of cell biology, he had a nagging conviction that these intercellular conduits were key to Zika virus biology.
Now, Michita, who was recently named a STAT Wunderkind, is a trailblazer in the study of maternal-fetal viral transmission.
The filaments Michita observed, known as tunneling nanotubes, are exploited by viruses such as HIV, influenza A, and SARS-CoV-2 to move between cells while evading immune detection. His research is among the first to suggest that TNTs may also provide a route for viruses to breach the placenta, a barrier that normally shields the developing fetus from pathogens. He also demonstrated that Zika virus uses nanotubes not only for cell-to-cell spread but also to siphon mitochondria from healthy cells into infected ones, potentially fueling additional rounds of infection. Together, these discoveries point to new therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking viral transmission and safeguarding the fetus.
...........
Michita had come to Baylor from Brazil, where he had specialized in genomic studies correlating genetic variation to pregnancy disorders. Although this project was his first deep experience in the world of cell biology, he had a nagging conviction that these intercellular conduits were key to Zika virus biology.
Now, Michita, who was recently named a STAT Wunderkind, is a trailblazer in the study of maternal-fetal viral transmission.
The filaments Michita observed, known as tunneling nanotubes, are exploited by viruses such as HIV, influenza A, and SARS-CoV-2 to move between cells while evading immune detection. His research is among the first to suggest that TNTs may also provide a route for viruses to breach the placenta, a barrier that normally shields the developing fetus from pathogens. He also demonstrated that Zika virus uses nanotubes not only for cell-to-cell spread but also to siphon mitochondria from healthy cells into infected ones, potentially fueling additional rounds of infection. Together, these discoveries point to new therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking viral transmission and safeguarding the fetus.
https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/17/rafael-michita-wunderkinds-zika-hiv-virus-research-placenta/