Anthony L. Komaroff, MD reviewing Dowd KA et al. Science 2016 Oct 14.

A single dose provided protection in rhesus macaques.

DNA vaccines involve injecting DNA that encodes immunogenic antigens into tissue (usually muscle). Cells that take up the vaccine then begin to produce the immunogenic protein, and humoral and cellular immune responses against the antigens follow.

An international team developed a DNA vaccine against Zika virus. Past experience had shown that, with flaviviruses like Zika, neutralizing antibodies were sufficient to achieve protection, so the immunogens most able to elicit such antibodies were identified. Different doses of the vaccine were tested, first in mice and then in nonhuman primates. Several doses elicited robust development of neutralizing antibodies in both animal species. Eight weeks after immunization, the primates were challenged with Zika infection: 17 of 18 animals (94%) had no detectable viremia, whereas animals “immunized” with control (non-Zika) DNA developed viremia.

CITATION(S):

Dowd KA et al. Rapid development of a DNA vaccine for Zika virus. Science 2016 Oct 14; 354:237. 

JWatch