A recent study, published in npj Vaccines, revealed that a Zika virus vaccine is both safe and effective when administered before and during pregnancy. The research, conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in collaboration with the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) and Trudeau Institute in New York, evaluated the purified, inactivated Zika vaccine (ZPIV) candidate in marmosets.
Previous studies had shown that the vaccine successfully prevented prenatal Zika virus transmission in nonhuman primates when administered before pregnancy. This new study took a significant step forward by investigating the effects of the vaccine when given during pregnancy.
According to Jean Patterson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Texas Biomed, the findings represent a significant advancement in protecting fetal health during future Zika outbreaks. The Zika virus, primarily transmitted through mosquitoes, poses a particularly high risk to pregnant women and developing fetuses. The 2015–2016 Zika outbreak in the Americas resulted in a rise in miscarriages and birth defects, including Congenital Zika Syndrome.
Dr. Stephen J. Thomas, an inventor of the ZPIV vaccine, emphasized the importance of developing effective vaccine candidates to mitigate the risks associated with Zika virus infection during pregnancy. While the vaccine candidate has shown promising results in Phase 1 clinical trials in humans, questions remained about its safety and efficacy when administered to pregnant individuals.
This study, believed to be the first of its kind, assessed the Zika vaccine’s performance during pregnancy in nonhuman primate models. Marmosets were chosen for their sensitivity to Zika virus infection and their ability to emulate the effects observed in pregnant humans.
Despite concerns about the changes in the immune system during pregnancy, the researchers found that administering the vaccine during early pregnancy elicited a protective immune response similar to that seen when given before pregnancy, as stated by In-Jeong Kim, Ph.D., a principal investigator at Trudeau Institute.
Results showed that the vaccine candidate effectively prevented placental damage and reduced Zika virus transmission from mother to fetus. The viral load in the placentas and fetuses of vaccinated marmosets was significantly lower compared to the unvaccinated group. Furthermore, the growth and development of fetuses from vaccinated adult marmosets exposed to Zika virus mirrored those of unexposed controls, with no adverse effects detected.
The study’s next steps involve confirming the durability of protection throughout pregnancy and assessing whether offspring born to vaccinated females challenged with the virus during pregnancy remain free from Congenital Zika Syndrome.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research.
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
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