DNA Vaccine Development for Dengue Fever
In military operations in Somalia and Haiti, dengue fever was a leading cause of illness among hospitalized soldiers.
The Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) has pioneered research in the development of DNA vaccines for dengue viruses. A team of researchers at NMRC, led by Captain Kevin Porter, M.D., received a major award from the Gates Foundation to continue their work developing a DNA vaccine.
A Threat to Military Readiness
The global prevalence of dengue fever has grown dramatically in recent decades. There are a staggering 100 million infections each year that range from a simple viral infection to dengue hemorrhagic fever, a painful form of the disease that can be fatal.
Dengue fever has had a negative impact on military operations dating back as far as World War II. The disease often escalates into epidemics very quickly because it is endemic to areas and situations where people live in close quarters.
Partnering to Develop Vaccine Candidates
There are four closely related, but antigenically distinct, dengue virus serotypes. Because a dengue vaccine must provide immunity against all four dengue serotypes, four vaccines must be developed and combined to produce the final formulation.
NMRC researchers teamed with Maxygen, Inc., to develop DNA vaccine candidates using Maxygen's proprietary MolecularBreeding™ directed molecular evolution technologies, which include DNA shuffling methods. They are using this technology to work towards a single DNA vaccine capable of generating tetravalent anti-dengue neutralizing antibodies.
Award Enables Further Research
To accelerate the advancement of candidate vaccines into clinical trials, Maxygen and NMRC approached the Gates Foundation for support. The Gates Foundation not only agreed to support the current research, but also wanted to support movement of a selected vaccine candidate toward clinical development.