Zika virus outbreak in Brazil—Lessons learned and perspectives for a safe and effective vaccine

ZIKV: Epidemiology, infection mechanism and current therapeutics

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a vector-borne flavivirus that has been detected in 87 countries worldwide. Outbreaks of ZIKV infection have been reported from various places around the world and the disease has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. ZIKV has two modes of transmission: vector and non-vector. The ability of ZIKV to vertically transmit in its competent vectors, such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, helps it to cope with adverse conditions, and this could be the reason for the major outbreaks that occur from time to time. ZIKV outbreaks are a global threat and, therefore, there is a need for safe and effective drugs and vaccines to fight the virus. In more than 80% of cases, ZIKV infection is asymptomatic and leads to complications, such as microcephaly in newborns and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults. Drugs such as sofosbuvir, chloroquine, and suramin have been found to be effective against ZIKV infections, but further evaluation of their safety in pregnant women is needed. Although temoporfin can be given to pregnant women, it needs to be tested further for side effects. Many vaccine types based on protein, vector, DNA, and mRNA have been formulated. Some vaccines, such as mRNA-1325 and VRC-ZKADNA090-00-VP, have reached Phase II clinical trials. Some new techniques should be used for formulating and testing the efficacy of vaccines. Although there have been no recent outbreaks of ZIKV infection, several studies have shown continuous circulation of ZIKV in mosquito vectors, and there is a risk of re-emergence of ZIKV in the near future. Therefore, vaccines and drugs for ZIKV should be tested further, and safe and effective therapeutic techniques should be licensed for use during outbreaks.

Current Advances in Zika Vaccine Development

Zika virus (ZIKV), an emerging arthropod-borne flavivirus, was first isolated in Uganda in 1947 from monkeys and first detected in humans in Nigeria in 1952; it has been associated with a dramatic burden worldwide. Since then, interventions to reduce the burden of ZIKV infection have been mainly restricted to mosquito control, which in the end proved to be insufficient by itself. Hence, the situation prompted scientists to increase research on antivirals and vaccines against the virus. These efforts are still ongoing as the pathogenesis and immune evasion mechanisms of ZIKV have not yet been fully elucidated. Understanding the viral disease mechanism will provide a better landscape to develop prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against ZIKV. Currently, no specific vaccines or drugs have been approved for ZIKV. However, some are undergoing clinical trials. Notably, different platforms have been evaluated for the design of vaccines, including DNA, mRNA, viral vectors, virus-like particles (VLPs), inactivated virus, live attenuated virus, peptide and protein-based vaccines, passive immunizations by using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and vaccines that target vector-derived antigens. These vaccines have been shown to induce specific humoral and cellular immune responses and reduce viremia and viral RNA titers, both in vitro and in vivo. This review provides a comprehensive summary of current advancements in the development of vaccines against Zika virus.

Overview of special issue on current advances in Brazilian biomedical and anatomical sciences

This special issue of The Anatomical Record honors the bridges of knowledge and communications between Brazil and the United States in Anatomical Science, Healthcare, and Medical Education. The volume is organized in two sets of manuscripts: the first one stems from presentations of Brazilian colleagues in the latest iteration of the Building Bridges outreach initiative-a meeting entitled Building Bridges Back to Back, held at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in December of 2019; the second, is a compilation of selected papers submitted independently to The Anatomical Record, authored by Brazilian researchers. All abstracts in this volume are featured in English and in Portuguese, and the opening piece is fully available in both languages. This bold and innovative addition represents the commitment of The Anatomical Record to support and help grow our bridges; it is a gesture of utmost respect and appreciation for our people and our culture. Together, our efforts to advance the knowledge in basic, translational, and clinical sciences, to expand our connections, and to build on our relationships across boundaries becomes a reality. This is an introduction and an overview of the manuscripts contained in this very special issue.