Zika vaccines should induce responses by CD4 + T cells, study finds

Immune cells called CD4 + T cells could be important mediators of protection against Zika virus, according to a study published Jan. 24 in the open-access journal PATOGOS Pathogens by Sujan Shresta of the Institute of Medicine. Allergy and immunology of La Jolla, and his colleagues. The results support vaccine strategies inducing a protective response of CD4 + T cells to Zika virus.

Several candidate vaccines are currently under development for Zika virus infection, which is responsible for life-threatening neurological conditions, including conbad Zika syndrome in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. However, the mechanisms by which the immune system contributes to protection against Zika virus have not been fully investigated. Shresta and colleagues used mouse models of intravenous and badually transmitted (intrabadl) Zika virus infection to badess the role of CD4 + T cells in the regulation of antiviral responses and the control of the immune system. infection.

The results demonstrated that CD4 + T cells are required for local control of viral infection in the lower female reproductive tract in intrabadlly infected mice. In addition, CD4 + T cells in memory may provide protection against a lethal dose of Zika virus after intrabadl infection. In contrast, CD4 + T cells are not needed to control intravenous Zika virus infection. According to the authors, future studies should help identify the precise characteristics of the CD4 + T cell response that can be manipulated to generate safe and effective Zika virus vaccines against infection in a variety of settings, including pregnancy and transmission. badual.

Shresta adds, "Depending on the tissue, the phenotype of CD4 T cells and the mechanism of protection against ZIKV may vary, this is important because CD4 T cells are highly heterogeneous / plastic and consist of several subtypes, such as Th1, Th2, Tfh, and cytotoxic CD4 T cells. "

This work was funded by NIAID / NIH grants to grants R01 AI116813, R21 NS100477 and R01 NS106387 to SS and to the Chiba-UCSD Center for the Development of Mucosal Immunology, Allergy and Immunization.

Reference: Elong Ngono A, Young MP, Mr. Bunz, Xu Z, Mr. Hattakam, Mr. Vizcarra, et al. (2019) CD4 + T cells control humoral immunity and viral control during Zika virus infection. PLoS Pathog 15 (1): e1007474. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007474

Source: PLOS