%A Wang,Ran %A Gao,Na %A Li,Yun %A Fan,Dongying %A Zhen,Zida %A Feng,Kaihao %A Chen,Hui %A An,Jing %D 2019 %J Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology %C %F %G English %K Zika virus,dengue virus (DENV),DNA vaccine,PrM/E proteins,Cross-reactive immune responses %Q %R 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00147 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2019-May-08 %9 Brief Research Report %# %! Zika DNA Vaccine Confers Cross-protection to DENVs %* %< %T Cross-Protection Against Four Serotypes of Dengue Virus in Mice Conferred by a Zika DNA Vaccine %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2019.00147 %V 9 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 2235-2988 %X Both Zika virus (ZIKV) and four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1–4) are antigenically related mosquito-borne flaviviruses that co-circulate in overlapping geographic distributions. The considerable amino acid sequence homology and structural similarities between ZIKV and DENV1–4 may be responsible for the complicated immunological cross-reactivity observed for these viruses. Thus, a successful Zika vaccine needs to not only confer protection from ZIKV infection but must also be safe during secondary exposures with other flavivirus, especially DENVs. In this study, we used a Zika DNA vaccine candidate (pV-ZME) expressing the ZIKV premembrane and envelop proteins to immunize BALB/c mice and evaluated the potential cross-reactive immune responses to DENV1–4. We observed that three doses of the pV-ZME vaccine elicited the production of cross-reactive antibodies, cytokines and CD8+ T cell responses and generated cross-protection against DENV1–4. Our results demonstrate a novel approach for design and development of safe Zika and/or dengue vaccines.