Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an important etiologic agent of human disease. Recently, this virus has moved to Western hemisphere and has developed wide-spread epidemics on the Caribbean Islands with frequent introduction into US. Within one year, from 2013 to 2014, number of cases associated with local transmission increased from one to almost a million, suggesting that we are in the beginning of large outbreak in the New World. Typically, CHIKV causes a severe, self-limited disease characterized by fever, rash and excruciating joint pain. Moreover, the recent epidemics also suggested that CHIKV has become more virulent. Previous CHIKV transmission was associated with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, but in the recent years, Ae. albopictus became an equally important vector of CHIKV. This mosquito species is common in the US, and future wide spread of CHIKV appears to be just a matter of time. Despite their public health threat as emerging virus and potential for application as biological weapons, no licensed vaccines or therapeutic means have been developed against CHIKV infection. This research project is based on further development of the new concept in vaccine designing. It will result in generation of pseudoinactivated CHIKV (CHIK PIV), which produces only a single round infection in vivo. New CHIKV vaccine candidate will combine the efficiency of live vaccines and safety of inactivated or subunit ones.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research plan is aimed at development of fundamentally new type of vaccine candidate against chikungunya virus infection. The pseudoinfectious CHIKV vaccine candidate will combine efficiency of live vaccine and safety of inactivated vaccines.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AI119627-02
Application #
9206981
Study Section
Vaccines Against Microbial Diseases Study Section (VMD)
Program Officer
Repik, Patricia M
Project Start
2016-02-01
Project End
2018-01-31
Budget Start
2017-02-01
Budget End
2018-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
$220,500
Indirect Cost
$70,500
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
063690705
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294