Experimental Zika vaccine reveals T cells can drive protection without antibodies
Zika virus has been spreading for decades, but it first grabbed worldwide headlines in 2016. That February, with an outbreak sweeping the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the surge in Zika-linked birth defects a "public health emergency of international concern"—a designation that lasted until that November. An estimated 1 million people or more were infected before the wave…
Zika virus, which has been spreading for decades, first gained global attention in 2016. The World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency due to the virus causing birth defects. Zika is carried by Aedes mosquitoes, which have spread to new regions. Women infected during pregnancy are more likely to miscarry, and babies can suffer from various birth defects.
While there are no specific treatments or vaccines, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology aim to develop effective protection against Zika and related viruses. Most vaccines work by prompting the body to produce antibodies, but Zika's orthoflavivirus family poses challenges due to antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE).
In a new study, researchers found that an experimental Zika vaccine protected mice through T cells alone, without antibodies. However, the protection was temporary, lasting only 12 weeks. The researchers are now investigating further to improve the vaccine's long-term effectiveness.
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