Rapid response to an emerging infectious disease - Lessons learned from development of a synthetic DNA vaccine targeting Zika virus

Publication date: Available online 17 March 2018 Source:Microbes and Infection Author(s): Sagar B. Kudchodkar, Hyeree Choi, Emma L. Reuschel, Rianne Esquivel, Jackie Jin-Ah Kwon, Moonsup Jeong, Joel N. Maslow, Charles C. Reed, Scott White, J. Joseph Kim, Gary P. Kobinger, Pablo Tebas, David B. Weiner, Kar Muthumani Vaccines are considered one of the greatest advances in modern medicine. The global burden of numerous infectious diseases has been significantly reduced, and in some cases, effectively eradicated through the deployment of specific vaccines. However, efforts to develop effective vaccines against infectious pathogens such as influenza, HIV, dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Ebola virus, and Zika virus (ZIKV) have proven challenging. Zika virus is a mosquito-vectored flavivirus responsible for periodic outbreaks of disease in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands dating back over 50 years. Over this period, ZIKV infections were subclinical in most infected individuals and resulted in mild cases of fever, arthralgia, and rash in others. Concerns about ZIKV changed over the past two years, however, as outbreaks in Brazil, Central American countries, and Caribbean islands revealed novel aspects of infection including vertical and sexual transmission modes. Cases have been reported showing dramatic neurological pathologies including microcephaly and other neurodevelopmental problems in babies born to ZIKV infected mothers, as well ...
Source: Microbes and Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research