Lab Chat: A pre-pregnancy vaccine for Zika
In a new study, researchers describe how a Zika vaccine — one developed by NIH scientists — given to rhesus macaques who were then impregnated seems to prevent transmission of the virus to the fetus and protects against brain damage. I spoke with Dr. Koen Van Rompay, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Davis, to learn more.
What’s the biggest takeaway?
As far as we know, this is the first study that shows that this vaccine protects monkeys that go on to become pregnant. Many vaccine studies are done where you expect peak immune response. But we first immunized and then got them pregnant — and they got pregnant anywhere from three days after we tried to a year, [which shows this could be a long-term strategy for protection].
Is there any pharma interest? And if not, what’s to say this will help humans?
I’m hoping with our data and data generated by the NIH’s trials of this vaccine, that we can increase interest. If pharma completely pulls out, we’ll never get anywhere. It's dangerous [because] we’re just sitting on a ticking time bomb for the next outbreak somewhere out there.
What’s the biggest takeaway?
As far as we know, this is the first study that shows that this vaccine protects monkeys that go on to become pregnant. Many vaccine studies are done where you expect peak immune response. But we first immunized and then got them pregnant — and they got pregnant anywhere from three days after we tried to a year, [which shows this could be a long-term strategy for protection].
Is there any pharma interest? And if not, what’s to say this will help humans?
I’m hoping with our data and data generated by the NIH’s trials of this vaccine, that we can increase interest. If pharma completely pulls out, we’ll never get anywhere. It's dangerous [because] we’re just sitting on a ticking time bomb for the next outbreak somewhere out there.
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