NIAID researchers discover six Zika-related antibodies

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), released a study on Wednesday that found six Zika virus antibodies, including four that neutralize African, Asian and American strains of the virus.

Dr. Michael S. Diamond and Dr. Daved H. Fremont of the Washington University School of Medicine led the study.

The Zika virus, typically transmitted through mosquito bites, has spread rapidly through Caribbean and South American countries over the past two years. The virus is known to cause fevers, rashes, joint pain and, most notably, fetal abnormalities and malformations in fetuses of pregnant women. Currently, there are no specific treatment options for Zika virus infection.

The research team was able to discover the antibodies by conducting a series of experiments with mice. The team also developed atomic-level x-ray crystal structure images that show four of the antibodies in complex with three distinct regions of a key Zika protein. This discovery is useful for the research team and vaccine developers because it provides a potential route for creating vaccines that can induce antibodies directed toward Zika-related proteins. Two of the newly-discovered antibodies were found to protect mice from Zika infection altogether.

While NIAID noted that its research was promising, it said that it was undetermined if these newly-discovered antibodies could protect human patients and that more information was needed.