New study shows human antibody protects against Zika virus in mice

A new study, which could lead to the development of vaccines to prevent the spread of the Zika virus, has found that administering a human antibody to both pregnant female and male mice neutralizes the virus.

Researchers isolated immune B cells from the blood of three people who contracted Zika and generated the antibodies that bind to the virus. One antibody, ZIKV-117,  nullified all strains of Zika, including African, American and Asian strains. They then gave pregnant mice with Zika a dose of these human antibodies, which resulted in protective effects during pregnancy and reduced levels of the virus in fetal tissues..

Among the treated mice, the scientists found protective levels of the antibody in fetal tissues and dramatically reduced levels of the Zika virus in the placenta and the fetal brain.

Male mice that received the human antibody also were more likely to survive, suggesting that the antibody could treat active Zika infection.

The study was conducted by Vanderbilt University, Washington University School of Medicine and Integral Molecular, a Philadelphia biotechnology company. It was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers said more work is needed before establishing whether anti-Zika antibodies can reduce the severity of Zika in humans, but the results suggest that certain antibodies could be developed to protect pregnant women and others from the disease.