Download Zika Va accine Wo orks in Mo onkeys

Zika Vaaccine Wo
orks in Mo
onkeys
By MALC
COLM RITT
TER
AP Science Writer
This 2016
2
digitally-co
olorized electro
on microscope image
i
made avaailable by the C
Centers for Diseease Control an
nd
Preventio
on shows the Ziika virus, in red
d, about 40 nano
ometers in diam
meter. In researrch published o
on Thursday, Auug. 4,
2016, th
hree experimenttal vaccines pro
otected monkeyys against infecttion from the Z
Zika virus, an en
ncouraging sign
n as
research moves into studies in people.
p
(Cynthiaa Goldsmith/C
CDC via AP)
August 5, 2016
NEW YO
ORK (AP) — Three expeerimental Zikka vaccines pprotected moonkeys againsst infection frrom
the virus,, an encouragging sign as research
r
movves into studiies in people.
The succeess in monkeeys, which in
nvolved a trad
ditional vacciine and two m
more cuttingg-edge ones,
"brings us
u one step clloser to a safee and effectivve Zika vacciine," said Drr. Dan Barouuch of Beth IIsrael
Deaconesss Medical Center in Bostton. "But of course, theree's a lot moree work to do
o."
Barouch and others reeported the results
r
in a paaper releasedd Thursday bby the journall Science. On
ne of
the vaccin
nes is expected to enter preliminary
p
human
h
studies this year.
At least tw
wo other vacccines have reached that point
p
alreadyy. Inovio Phaarmaceuticalss announced last
week thatt it had injectted its first participant. Th
he National Institute of A
Allergy and IInfectious
Diseases gave its first vaccine Tueesday. Both studies focus on assessingg vaccine safeety.
Efforts to develop a vaccine began after a massive Zika outbreak last year in Brazil, which showed
that infection of pregnant women can harm fetal brain development.
In the monkey study, one vaccine followed the traditional approach, using a dead Zika virus to train
the body for fighting off infection. It was injected into eight rhesus monkeys and followed by a
booster shot a month later. A month after the booster, the monkeys got a dose of Zika virus.
None showed any sign of the virus in their blood for the week they were followed. In contrast, eight
other monkeys that had gotten a sham vaccine became infected.
That vaccine, developed at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, is
expected to begin human testing in October.
The other two vaccines, produced at Beth Israel and not yet scheduled for human studies, delivered
only the DNA of a single virus gene. That spurred the monkeys' bodies to pump out a protein
found in the Zika virus, which in turn gave their immune systems to attack on the full virus.
The two vaccines completely protected a total of eight monkeys against infection.
The results "add some encouragement that this might work in humans," said Dr. Anthony Fauci,
director of the federal infectious disease institute, who was not involved in the study. The total
protection is "good news," he said.
Experts said it's impossible to know when a Zika vaccine will be approved for use.
"It's not going to be this year, for sure," Barouch said.
Fauci said it might be early 2018 if not later.