Antibodies that are effective against both dengue and Zika viruses

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with Imperial College London and the University of Vienna, Austria, have identified antibodies that can efficiently neutralize both the dengue virus and the Zika virus. The description of the binding site for these antibodies on the viral envelope, identical for both viruses, could lead to the development of a universal vaccine that offers simultaneous protection against dengue and Zika virus disease. These results will be published in the journal Nature on June 23, 2016.

The dengue virus and the Zika virus share several characteristics. They both belong to the Flavivirus genus, they are both RNA viruses mainly transmitted by mosquitoes, and they have similar envelope proteins. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS and Imperial College London, who had previously identified antibodies capable of neutralizing the four types of dengue virus in an earlier study, decided to turn their attention to the Zika virus. "We wanted to see whether the antibodies isolated for dengue could be used to neutralize other flaviviruses, and Zika seemed like the best candidate," explained Félix Rey, Head of the Structural Virology Laboratory at the Institut Pasteur.

Find out more, read the press release