Description:
Reference #: 01165
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for a novel method of using mosquito proteins to control the spread of dengue virus. This method breaks the host-vector infection cycle that is responsible for continued viral transmission and human disease.
Invention Description:
The subject invention blocks proteins required for dengue infection using vaccination-induced antibodies, which can be produced in susceptible mammals (humans) by the injection of the mosquito protein and/or it's peptides and/or DNA sequence (DNA vaccination). When a mosquito bites, the antibodies are ingested, thus inhibiting dengue infection of the mosquito.
Advantages and Benefits:
This is a novel approach to cease the human-mosquito dengue infection cycle. A vaccine containing a mosquito protein rather than a pathogen protein has never been attempted for dengue virus protection in any mammalian (including human) population. Consequently, since the vaccine does not target dengue viral proteins, there will be no risk of antibody-dependent enhancement as is seen with other vaccines against dengue virus. In addition, since the vaccine targets Aedes mosquito proteins, it may be useful against other arboviruses transmitted by Aedes such as Chikungunya and Yellow Fever viruses.
Potential Applications:
Non-pathogenic vaccines for the Dengue Virus and other arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitos such as West Nile and Yellow Fever
Background:
There is no cure for dengue virus infection, and safety and efficacy issues have hindered the development of a viable vaccine. An important step in breaking the mosquito-human infection cycle, this method is the first use of a mosquito vector protein as a transmission-blocking material to create a vaccine for humans against dengue virus.