UCLA researchers have developed a new Zika virus vaccine that has been shown to be both effective and safe in preclinical mouse models.
In a mouse model of pregnancy, the new vaccine prevented systemic infection in both pregnant moms and their babies.
The findings were reported in Microbiology Spectrum.
“Engineering the vaccine involved deleting the part of the Zika genome that codes for the viral shell,” explained UCLA associate professor Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami.
“This modification,” according to the author, both stimulates an immunogenic reaction and prevents the virus from replicating and spreading from cell to cell.”
Vaccinated mice displayed higher levels of cell-mediated immune response, as seen by increased effector T cell populations, compared to unvaccinated mice. The researchers also used different kinds of mouse models to test the vaccine and found that it was safe and worked.
The 2016 Zika virus outbreak, which rapidly expanded across the Americas, affecting millions of people and causing great socioeconomic hardships, served as inspiration for the work. Zika was the first virus spread by mosquitoes that showed it could affect how people have babies.
There are currently no authorized vaccines or other therapies for the Zika virus. Also, research into other ways to fight the virus hasn’t led to any clear-cut solutions.
“But given that RNA virus—the category to which both Zika and the SARS family of viruses belong—are highly prone to evolving and mutating rapidly, there will likely be more outbreaks in the near future,” added Arumugaswami.
On average, it takes about 7 years for the Zika virus to spread widely again after a big outbreak.
“It is only a matter of time before we start seeing the virus spread again,” warned Kouki Morizono, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA and co-senior author of this study.
Even worse, climate change is making it easier for mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti, which spreads the Zika virus to people, to live in more places. This puts more people at risk.
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the power of a strong pandemic preparedness plan and clear communication about prevention methods – all culminating in the rapid rollout of safe and reliable vaccines,” Arumugaswami added.
Therefore, creating a solid pandemic preparedness plan is crucial.
“Our research is a crucial first step in developing an effective vaccination program that could curb the spread of Zika virus and prevent large-scale spread from occurring,” Arumugaswami added.
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