Defeat Dengue and Zika Viruses With a One-Two Punch of Vaccine and Vector Blockade

Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are two mosquito-borne flaviviruses afflicting nearly half of the world population. Human infection by these viruses can either be asymptomatic or manifest as clinical diseases from mild to severe. Despite more cases are presented as self-limiting febrile illness, severe dengue disease can be manifested as hemorrhagic fever and hemorrhagic shock syndrome, and ZIKV infection has been linked to increased incidence of peripheral neuropathy Guillain-Barre syndrome and central neural disease such as microcephaly. The current prevention and treatment of these infectious diseases are either non-satisfactory or entirely lacking. Because DENV and ZIKV have much similarities in genomic and structural features, almost identical mode of mosquito-mediated transmission, and probably the same pattern of host innate and adaptive immunity toward them, it is reasonable and often desirable to investigate these two viruses side-by-side, and thereby devise common countermeasures against both. Here, we review the existing knowledge on DENV and ZIKV regarding epidemiology, molecular virology, protective immunity and vaccine development, discuss recent new discoveries on the functions of flavivirus NS1 protein in viral pathogenesis and transmission, and propose a one-two punch strategy using vaccine and vector blockade to overcome antibody-dependent enhancement and defeat Dengue and Zika viruses.

SARS-CoV-2, Zika viruses and mycoplasma: Structure, pathogenesis and some treatment options in these emerging viral and bacterial infectious diseases

“…ZIKV is highly homologous to dengue virus (60% homology) [248]. The ZIKV genome encodes three structural proteins, the capsid (C), envelope (E), and membrane (prM) proteins.…”

“…Some advances in antiviral therapeutics and vaccines are underway, but they are still in early phases of development. Due to the similarity with Dengue virus, there have been proposals of designing a unified ZIKV and Dengue virus vaccine, or to share resources to get both vaccines [248].…”

Impact of prior dengue virus infection on Zika virus infection during pregnancy in marmosets

“…The Aedes mosquitoes transmit other flaviviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus, and chikungunya virus, which often cocirculate in ZIKVendemic areas (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). The envelope (ENV) proteins of DENV and ZIKV are closely related at the genetic (58% DNA sequence identity) (8) and protein (55 to 56% amino acid sequence identity) levels (9)(10)(11), resulting in strong antibody cross-reactivity (12). One possible explanation for ZIKV transmission into immune-privileged sites such as the reproductive organs and brain is that prior exposure to non-ZIKV flaviviruses aggravates the pathogenesis of ZIKV through antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), causing severe disruption of fetal development during pregnancy.…”

Investigation of a subunit protein vaccine for HFRS based on a consensus sequence between envelope glycoproteins of HTNV and SEOV

“…Additionally, a Zika subunit recombinant protein vaccine was designed using the same method and was shown to provide protective immunity in a mouse challenge model and a 100% protective effect in the rhesus monkey protection test ( Liang et al., 2018 ). Different hantavirus types exhibit high homology and conservation, which has become an advantage in designing universal vaccines ( Sun et al., 2020 ). Sankar et al.…”