Technologies

Background

Dengue serotypes (DENV1-4) are mosquito-borne viruses that infect over 390 million people worldwide annually, primarily in developing nations. There are no current antiviral treatments for DENV, and prevention methods rely on local control of a specific mosquito vector,Aedes aegypti. There is one licensed vaccine, Dengvaxia (Sanofi-Pasteur), available; however, it has recently been removed from vaccination campaigns due to safety concerns regarding the increased risk of Severe Dengue. The development of Severe Dengue originates from the unique pathogenesis features of the DENV serotypes. In response to the primary infection, antibodies bind to the serotype present. If an additional infection occurs, these non-neutralizing antibodies facilitate entry of the new DENV into the immune cells, resulting in plasma leakage, hemorrhage, shock, and cytokine storm. Thus, current vaccine efforts have been targeting all four DENV serotypes through tetravalent vaccine preparation to eliminate the chance of vaccine-elicited Severe Dengue.

A promising treatment target emerging is DENV Non-Structural Protein 1 (NS1). NS1 is produced from the viral genome in infected cells, and is secreted in large quantities throughout the early stages of infection. When present in the bloodstream, NS1 can directly and indirectly cause plasma leakage; through interaction with endothelial cells and activation of cytokine production, respectively. It has been shown that antibodies against NS1 protect mice from lethal DENV infections, and NS1-mediated vascular leakage. Therefore, NS1 is proven to be a promising target for a DENV vaccine against all four serotypes. However, complications arise due to the cross-reactivity of a subset of antibodies against NS1; in addition to, eliciting a long-lasting, high titer antibody response with subunit vaccines. Thus, there exists a present need for a vaccine targeting DENV NS1 that is capable of eliciting antibodies to block NS1 activity, while eliminating the potential for harmful cross-reactions.

Technology Description

About STC.UNM

As the technology-transfer and economic-development organization for the University of New Mexico, STC.UNM protects and commercializes technologies developed at the University of New Mexico (UNM) by filing patents and copyrights and transferring the technologies to the marketplace. We connect the business community (companies, entrepreneurs and investors) to these UNM technologies for licensing opportunities and the creation of startup companies. Visit www.stc.unm.edu.