New mouse model paves way for Zika drug, vaccine tests
Researchers based at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) today said they have created the first animal model for testing drugs and vaccines to battle Zika virus, and the genetically engineered mice have already yielded some clues about the virus’s pathogenesis.
Global health officials have identified a vaccine targeted to childbearing-age women as one of the top priorities for fighting the virus, but animal models are needed for preclinical trials. The scientists reported their findings in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH).
Scott Weaver, PhD, one of the UTMB researchers who has studied Zika virus alongside other arboviruses for several years, said the mice in the study were developed for testing drug and vaccine candidates and may not be good models for human transmission. He added that nonhuman primate models will probably be needed to answer questions about human transmission and that UTMB researchers are working on that research, which is at early stages.
