DNA may offer rapid road to Zika vaccine stat : Science News

Story continues after graphicImmune trigger For a DNA vaccine against Zika, scientists insert genes for Zika proteins into a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid. Barouch's team was the first to report a Zika DNA vaccine that offered protection in mice — in a study published last June in Nature. But the DNA vaccine has stepped up to the plate first, and the world will soon see if it can deliver. But the race to make a Zika vaccine probably won't come down to just one winner, he says. The biotech company Inovio Pharmaceuticals, for example, has begun human trials with yet another DNA vaccine for Zika.




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Using mice Dr. Kumar says the Zika virus can infect and cause lesions in retina cells, causing damage and in some cases cause blindness. DETROIT — Scientists with Wayne State University say they are the first to publish research to show the Zika virus can damage retina cells in the eyes, and in some cases cause blindness. Their research showed the Zika virus mostly killed cells specifically lining the blood-retinal barrier, the retinal endothelium, and retinal pigment epithelium. "The key message of the study is that indeed the Zika virus can cause damage," said Dr. Ashok Kumar, microbiologist and assistant ophthalmology professor with Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Kresge Eye Institute. And what will be the visual outcome.""The big question really is that Zika virus was discovered in 1947, so it's about 70 years, and why suddenly is it becoming so prevalent?"



collected by :Lucy William

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