Written in SCIENCE he
A group of American researchers is the first in the international community to intentionally infect a group of volunteers with the virus Zika as part of a study to develop a vaccine against the long-troubled pathogen. .
The study, scheduled to begin in early 2022 and conclude in 2024, will determine whether controlled human infection trials can help find a vaccine against this elusive viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes.
Twenty-eight volunteers are being recruited to see if it is possible to safely infect them with any of the strains of the virus, as scientists noted at the conference. American Society of Medicine and Tropical Hygiene in Chicago. For their safety, all the women agreed to be isolated in a medical unit until they are no longer contagious, the research group said.
Zika symptoms
Zika It usually causes mild symptoms in humans, but can cause serious birth defects in babies born to parents infected during pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, although cases are rare, neurological problems are associated with adults infected with the virus.
“This is a great scientific discovery in terms of vaccine development,” Rafael Franca, an immunologist at Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, told Nature Portal.
Although global prevalence is low, there is potential for epidemics, particularly in Latin America, and vaccine development is advancing worldwide. Among the preliminary findings of the study, led by Professor Anna Durbin of the Johns Hopkins Universityit is found that it is possible to infect humans safely in a controlled environment.
In particular, this type of research is called “controlled human challenge” and aims to “study and understand the onset and progression of the disease in a controlled environment,” as Imperial explains.
“This allows researchers to uncover complex interactions and identify potential targets for prevention, vaccination or treatment that are not seen in naturally infected patients.”
Given these findings, British researcher Krishanthi Subramaniam, who is part of the team developing a vaccine against the virus, said the model is “enormously valuable and revolutionary” in efforts to test new vaccines and treatments. “It’s possible”.
Thus, it remains to be seen the impact of research on a virus that, according to the WHO“is currently causing outbreaks in several countries.”