Genome-wide approaches to unravelling host-virus interactions in Dengue and Zika infections

Genomics approaches are increasingly utilized to probe host-viral interactions and identify mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and host-subversion. Here we review recent studies that utilize Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 screens, transcriptomics and epigenomics to gain insight into Dengue and Zika virus infections in humans. We discuss the benefits and limitations of recently utilized techniques that separate virally infected cells from neighboring uninfected cells to identify the mechanisms by which these viruses regulate host responses. We conclude by discussing how these approaches can best advance our understanding of Dengue and Zika virus pathogenesis in humans.