Blood markers of protection and risk after dengue vaccination or infection
Official title: Identification of serological markers of protection and risk for dengue vaccines and natural infection
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11176226 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks for blood antibodies and immune signals that show whether people are protected from dengue or at higher risk after vaccination or past infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $628,272 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI175495-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176226 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people with a history of dengue infection or prior dengue vaccination who can provide blood samples or who are part of the existing long-term cohorts.
✕Less likely to help
People without any history of dengue exposure or vaccination, and those needing immediate treatment for current dengue illness, are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will analyze blood samples taken over many years from people who were naturally infected with dengue and from people who received dengue vaccines. They will measure both neutralizing antibodies and non-neutralizing functions like antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, along with immune cell (B and T cell) responses from the same individuals over time. Samples come from long-running cohorts including people who received the licensed dengue vaccine and those given a candidate vaccine, with follow-up up to 13 years in some cases. The team will compare immune patterns in people who got sick versus those who stayed well to find markers that change over time and link to protection or severe illness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors tell who is likely protected from dengue and guide safer vaccination and monitoring strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have identified neutralizing antibody markers, but combining long-term measurements of non-neutralizing antibody functions and cellular immune responses in the same people is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cummings, Derek a — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Cummings, Derek a
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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.