Zika Fever

The absence of a reliable vaccine or antiviral therapeutics for Zika fever emphasizes the critical necessity for thorough research and development initiatives in this domain. Harnessing our proficiency and resources, our company is steadfast in driving substantial advancements in the fight against Zika fever through pioneering vaccine and therapeutic development strategies.

Overview of Zika Fever

Zika fever, also referred to as Zika virus disease or simply Zika, is an arboviral illness triggered by the Zika virus (ZIKV), belonging to the Flaviviridae family. Initially detected in 1947 among rhesus monkeys in Uganda's Zika Forest, the virus was subsequently isolated from Aedes mosquitoes. The primary carriers for ZIKV transmission are the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Common symptoms of Zika fever include fever, rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and headaches. Although many cases exhibit no symptoms, the virus has been associated with severe neurological complications and birth defects, notably microcephaly, when contracted during pregnancy.

Fig.1 ZIKV infection of various human tissues. (Gorshkov K., et al., 2019)

Vaccine Development for Zika Fever

• Inactivated Vaccines: Inactivated vaccines use killed or inactivated forms of the virus, which are unable to cause disease but can still stimulate an immune response.
• Subunit and DNA Vaccines: Subunit vaccines utilize specific viral proteins to induce an immune response. DNA vaccines, on the other hand, involve the direct introduction of DNA-encoding viral antigens into host cells.
• Live-Attenuated Vaccines: Live-attenuated vaccines use a weakened form of the virus that can replicate but does not cause disease.

Table 1 The pipeline of ZIKV vaccine progress. (Shan C., et al., 2018)

Therapeutics Development for Zika Fever

Antiviral Compounds

Antiviral compounds target specific stages of the viral replication cycle. Sofosbuvir, a nucleoside analog, has shown promise as an antiviral against ZIKV by inhibiting the viral RNA polymerase. Another example is the natural compound curcumin, which has demonstrated antiviral activity against ZIKV in vitro.

Drug Repurposing

Drug repurposing involves testing existing drugs for new applications. Emricasan, an inhibitor of the caspase pathway, has shown neuroprotective effects against ZIKV-induced cell death. Chloroquine, used for malaria therapeutics, has also demonstrated antiviral activity against ZIKV in vitro.

Natural Products and Synthetic Compounds

Natural products like EGCG from green tea have shown inhibitory effects on ZIKV entry. Synthetic compounds, such as 25-Hydroxycholesterol, have also been effective in inhibiting ZIKV internalization.

Our Services

Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and expertise, our company provides comprehensive services for the development of Zika fever vaccines and therapeutics, aiming to expedite the discovery and creation of safe and efficacious solutions.

Vaccine Development

• Live-attenuated Vaccine
• Inactivated Vaccine
• Toxoid Vaccine
• Viral Vector Vaccine
• Virus-like Particles Vaccine
• Protein Subunit Vaccine
• mRNA Vaccine
• DNA Vaccine

Therapeutic Development

• Small Molecule Drug Development Services
• Therapeutic mRNA Development Services
• Therapeutic Antibody Development Services
• Cell Therapy Development Services

Disease Models

• ZIKV Infection Immunodeficient Mouse Models
• ZIKV Infection Neonatal Mouse Models
• ZIKV Infection Pregnant Mouse Models
• ZIKV Infection Non-Human Primate Models

Our company offers comprehensive preclinical research services tailored to Zika fever vaccine and therapeutic development. Our services include:

• In Vitro Studies: Utilizing various cell lines to assess the antiviral activity of candidate compounds and their mechanisms of action.
• In Vivo Studies: Conducting animal studies to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of vaccine candidates, as well as the efficacy of antiviral therapies.
• Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology: Analyzing the pharmacokinetics of drug candidates and assessing their safety profiles to inform clinical development strategies.

If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.

All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.