Medical researchers at the University of Texas at Galveston have shown for the first time that a single higher dose of vaccination in a pregnant mouse can safely protect her and her fetus from Zika.
The results are published in the journal nature communications.
1.Research
“The prevention of natural defects in development is an important goal of zika virus vaccine, but there is a lack of research on vaccination for pregnant women, which raises many important questions.
For example, can vaccination during pregnancy prevent infection and transmission to the fetus? Does pregnancy affect the immune response of Zika vaccine? Can the vaccination immunity of pregnant women during pregnancy prevent neonatal infection? These issues are critical to the clinical development and regulatory approval of Zika vaccine.” Said Pei-Yong Shi, the author of the article.
Shi and his lab previously developed the Zika vaccine and continued research to improve its efficacy.
In addition to protecting mothers and babies, researchers have learned that their live attenuated vaccine is extremely safe in pregnant mice and fetuses, Shi said.
For example, they believe that there is no adverse effect on pregnancy, fetal development or infant behavior. They also found that pregnancy weakens the mother’s immune response to the vaccine, indicating that higher doses or more immunogenic vaccines are needed during pregnancy. Taken together, their results suggest that their vaccine is suitable for pregnant and non-pregnant women.
2.Introduction to Zika Virus
Zika virus, a member of the Flavivirus family, is spread rapidly through mosquito in South and Central America. Recent studies suggest that Zika virus is related to various diseases, such as microcephaly and congenital Zika syndrome. Microcephaly and congenital Zika syndrome have been causally associated with birth defect during pregnancy. In this condition, Zika virus has been considered as a public health emergency of international concern. Studies show that many groups have tried to develop a safe and effective vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection and severe disease. Up to now, various vaccines have been widely used in Zika virus prevention, including recombinant live attenuated vaccines and DNA vaccines.
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