DNA-based Zika vaccine found effective at inducing immune response

A new generation DNA-based Zika vaccine is the first to demonstrate both safety and the ability to elicit an immune response against Zika in humans, according to new research. The phase 1 clinical trial showed for the first time that humans who received up to three doses of the vaccine candidate produced an immune response against Zika with minimal adverse effects, opening the door to further clinical trials. The GLS-5700 vaccine is a synthetic DNA vaccine that contains the instructions for the host to mount an immune response against a specific Zika virus antigen. “Zika virus continues to be a threat to people living in the Americas and the Caribbean,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Pablo Tebas, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, “With these new results, we are one step closer to hopefully finding a way to prevent infection, which can cause serious...