Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LJI) conducted a study in which they infected mice with Dengue virus and then subsequently infected them with Zika virus, in order to determine whether or not prior Dengue infection could confer any subsequent immunity against Zika. When infected with Zika and then tested, the mice that were previously infected with the Dengue virus presented with a significantly smaller viral load in their blood and tissues, suggestive of an enhanced immune response to the virus.
Additionally, these researchers looked into the implications of both B cell and T cell immunity in fighting Zika infection. Currently, 26 of the 28 vaccines that are approved for human use only stimulate B cell response but there exists mounting evidence that T cell response may also be very important in developing immunity against viruses like Zika. To test this, the researchers extracted cytotoxic T cells from ice that were infected with Dengue and injected them into mice that were infected with Zika. The mice who received the cytotoxic T cell injections displayed much less severe illness than the infected mice that did not receive T cells. This is strong evidence towards the idea that Dengue confers cross-immunity against Zika and that T cells are an important part of this process. Both of these findings are extremely important as we work towards developing an effective vaccine against Zika virus.
~Emma
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171113095513.htm
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