Zika virus (ZIKV) is an RNA virus transmitted by mosquitoes that has emerged in recent years as a considerable threat to public health. While the existence of ZIKV has been known for more than sixty years, until recently, this virus was not a source of significant human disease. The first large outbreak of ZIKV occurred in Yap Island (Micronesia) in 2007, resulting in roughly three-quarters of the population becoming infected, and thereafter on other Pacific Islands prior to its introduction into South America in 2014. More than 40 countries in the Western Hemisphere have now reported locally acquired infections, including the United States of America. ZIKV-associated illness was described as a self-limiting mild illness characterized by rash, fever, conjunctivitis, arthralgia, and arthritis. More recent ZIKV outbreaks have been associated with neurological complications, including Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults, and devastating neurodevelopmental defects in infants of women infected while pregnant, including microcephaly. There is an urgent need for interventions to reduce ZIKV transmission and disease. Our laboratory will seek a fundamental understanding of the antibody response to ZIKV and apply these insights into the development of ZIKV vaccines (collaboratively with other NIAID laboratories) and novel diagnostic approaches.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
City
State
Country
Zip Code
Emanuel, Jackson; Callison, Julie; Dowd, Kimberly A et al. (2018) A VSV-based Zika virus vaccine protects mice from lethal challenge. Sci Rep 8:11043
Gaudinski, Martin R; Houser, Katherine V; Morabito, Kaitlyn M et al. (2018) Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of two Zika virus DNA vaccine candidates in healthy adults: randomised, open-label, phase 1 clinical trials. Lancet 391:552-562
Richner, Justin M; Jagger, Brett W; Shan, Chao et al. (2017) Vaccine Mediated Protection Against Zika Virus-Induced Congenital Disease. Cell 170:273-283.e12
Arbuckle, Jesse H; Gardina, Paul J; Gordon, David N et al. (2017) Inhibitors of the Histone Methyltransferases EZH2/1 Induce a Potent Antiviral State and Suppress Infection by Diverse Viral Pathogens. MBio 8:
Pardi, Norbert; Hogan, Michael J; Pelc, Rebecca S et al. (2017) Zika virus protection by a single low-dose nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccination. Nature 543:248-251
Richner, Justin M; Himansu, Sunny; Dowd, Kimberly A et al. (2017) Modified mRNA Vaccines Protect against Zika Virus Infection. Cell 168:1114-1125.e10
Shan, Chao; Muruato, Antonio E; Jagger, Brett W et al. (2017) A single-dose live-attenuated vaccine prevents Zika virus pregnancy transmission and testis damage. Nat Commun 8:676
Hickman, Heather D; Pierson, Theodore C (2017) T Cells Take on Zika Virus. Immunity 46:13-14
Pierson, Theodore C; Graham, Barney S (2016) Zika Virus: Immunity and Vaccine Development. Cell 167:625-631
Sirohi, Devika; Chen, Zhenguo; Sun, Lei et al. (2016) The 3.8 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of Zika virus. Science 352:467-70

Showing the most recent 10 out of 20 publications