Maternal immunization with a DNA vaccine candidate elicits specific passive protection against post-natal Zika virus infection in immunocompetent mice
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is closely associated with microcephaly in fetus and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and even male infertility.It is an urgent international priority to develop a safe and effective vaccine offering protection for both women of child-bearing age and their children with economic benefits.In this study,female immunocompetent BALB/c mice were immunized with a DNA-based vaccine candidate pVAX1-ZME expressing the prM/E protein of ZIKV,and the immunogenicity for maternal mice as well as post-natal protection for suckling mice were evaluated.It was found that administration with three doses of 50 μg pVAX1-ZME via in vivo electroporation induced robust ZIKV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses.Moreover,using a matemal immunization protocol,neutralizing antibodies provided specific passive protection against ZIKV infection in neonatal mice and effectively inhibited disorders in systemic development.This vaccine candidate is expected to be further evaluated in higher animals,and maternal vaccination shows great promise for protecting both women of childbearing age and their offspring against post-natal ZIKV infection.The vaccinated mothers and ZIKV-challenged-pups provide key insight into Zika vaccine evaluation in an available fully immunocompetent animal model.
Zika virus DNA vaccine maternal vaccination post-natal protection animal model electroporation
Ran Wang Xianzheng Liao Dongying Fan Lei Wang Ji Song Kaihao Feng Peigang Wang Mingyuan Li Hui Chen Jing An
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Capital Medic Faculty of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Cangzhou Medical HKU Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Capital Medic
国际会议
北京
英文
269-282
2019-03-30（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）