A VSV-based Zika virus vaccine protects mice from lethal challenge

Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 23;8(1):11043. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29401-x.

Abstract

Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) is commonly mild in humans but has been associated with alarming negative health outcomes including Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and microcephaly in fetuses. As such, developing a vaccine for ZIKV is a global public health priority. Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing the Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein (GP) has been successfully used as a vaccine platform in the past. In this study, two novel VSV-ZIKV vaccines were generated utilizing the favorable immune targeting of the existing VSV-EBOV vector. In addition to the EBOV GP, these new vaccines express the full-length pre-membrane and envelope proteins or pre-membrane and truncated soluble envelope proteins as antigens. Efficacy testing of both of the VSV vectors against ZIKV was conducted in IFNAR-/- mice and resulted in uniform protection when a single dose was administered 28 days prior to lethal challenge. Furthermore, this vaccine is fast-acting and can uniformly protect mice from lethal disease when administered as late as 3 days prior to ZIKV challenge. Thus, VSV-ZIKV vectors are promising vaccine candidates and should move forward along the licensure pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ebola Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Ebolavirus / immunology
  • Ebolavirus / pathogenicity
  • Female
  • Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / immunology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / prevention & control
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / virology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / genetics
  • Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / metabolism
  • Vesiculovirus / immunology
  • Vesiculovirus / pathogenicity
  • Viral Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Zika Virus / immunology*
  • Zika Virus / pathogenicity*

Substances

  • Ebola Vaccines
  • Glycoproteins
  • Viral Vaccines
  • Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta