In preclinical mouse models, scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have created a Zika vaccine technology that is both highly efficient and secure. The vaccine shielded both the expectant mothers and the growing fetuses from contracting a systemic infection in a pregnant mouse model. The study has been published in the American Society for Microbiology journal, Microbiology Spectrum.
The part of the Zika genome that codes for the viral shell had to be deleted in order to engineer the vaccine, according to Vaithilingaraja Arumugaswami, D.V.M., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. “This modification inhibits the virus’s ability to replicate and spread from cell to cell while also inducing an immunogenic response.”
Compared to unvaccinated mice, vaccinated mice displayed higher levels of cell-mediated immune response, as evidenced by increased effector T cell populations. Researchers used a lot of different mouse models to test the vaccine and found that it was safe and effective.
The 2016 Zika virus outbreak, which spread quickly in the Americas, infected millions of people, and caused severe socioeconomic hardships, served as the catalyst for the work. Zika was the first virus spread by mosquitoes to show that it could stop people from having children.
The Zika virus has no approved vaccines or other treatments as of yet. Additionally, research into alternative virus-fighting strategies hasn’t produced any obviously efficient defenses. There will probably be more outbreaks in the near future, according to Arumugaswami. “But given that RNA viruses—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,” he added.
The interval between episodes of widespread Zika viral spread is typically 7 years. The study’s co-senior author and associate professor of medicine at UCLA, Kouki Morizono, M.D., Ph.D., predicted that the virus would soon begin to spread once more.
To make matters worse, climate change is increasing the population that is at risk by expanding the areas that mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti, which transmit the Zika virus to humans, are allowed to live.
According to Arumugaswami, “the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated to us the value of a robust pandemic preparedness plan and clear communication about prevention methods, all of which culminated in the rapid rollout of safe and dependable vaccines.” Therefore, creating a solid pandemic preparedness plan is crucial. According to Arumugaswami, “Our research is an essential first step in creating an efficient vaccination program that could stop the spread of the Zika virus and prevent large-scale spread from happening.”
