A vaccine to prevent Chikungunya fever
Official title: The mosquito salivary protein AgBR1 as vaccine candidate against Chikungunya
Funded at L2 Diagnostics, LLC · NIH-11140413 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is working to create a new vaccine that uses a mosquito protein to protect people from Chikungunya fever.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | L2 Diagnostics, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | July 17, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $299,969 |
| NIH project number | 5R41AI186794-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140413 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Future clinical trials for this vaccine would likely seek healthy adults who are at risk of Chikungunya infection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients already infected with Chikungunya or those not at risk of exposure would not directly benefit from a preventative vaccine.
What this research studies
Chikungunya is a disease spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and often severe, long-lasting joint pain, and there isn't a specific treatment for it. While one vaccine has recently been approved, this research explores a different way to protect people. We are looking at a specific protein found in mosquito saliva, called AgBR1, which seems to help the Chikungunya virus infect people more easily. By developing a vaccine that targets this mosquito protein, we hope to stop the virus from spreading effectively when a mosquito bites you.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this vaccine could provide a novel way to protect people from Chikungunya fever and its debilitating symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: While one Chikungunya vaccine is approved, this approach of targeting a mosquito salivary protein is a novel strategy for vaccine development.
Where this research is happening
-
L2 Diagnostics, LLC
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fikrig, Erol — L2 Diagnostics, LLC
- Study coordinator: Fikrig, Erol
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.