A Zika Vaccine Generated Using the Chimeric Insect-Specific Binjari Virus Platform Protects against Fetal Brain Infection in Pregnant Mice.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) is the etiological agent of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), a spectrum of birth defects that can lead to life-long disabilities. A range of vaccines are in development with the target population including pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. Using a recently described chimeric flavivirus vaccine technology based on the novel insect-specific Binjari virus (BinJV), we generated a ZIKV vaccine (BinJ/ZIKA-prME) and illustrate herein its ability to protect against fetal brain infection. Female IFNAR-/- mice were vaccinated once with unadjuvanted BinJ/ZIKA-prME, were mated, and at embryonic day 12.5 were challenged with ZIKVPRVABC59. No infectious ZIKV was detected in maternal blood, placenta, or fetal heads in BinJ/ZIKA-prME-vaccinated mice. A similar result was obta

SUBMITTER: Hazlewood JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7564101 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature