Dengue immunity in kids: how antibodies and B cells respond to one or more dengue types
Official title: Project 1: Immunological imprinting and immune correlates of antibody and B cell responses in natural dengue virus infections
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11415550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded project in Nicaragua and at UC Berkeley explores how children’s antibody and B cell responses to dengue differ across the four virus types and over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | July 29, 2015 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $692,236 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI106695-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children with dengue infection enrolled in the Pediatric Dengue Cohort Study in Nicaragua.
✕Less likely to help
Children not enrolled in the cohort or not experiencing dengue will not directly benefit from the study results.
What this research studies
This project studies how the immune system’s antibodies and B cells react to dengue infections in children, using samples from a long-running pediatric cohort. Researchers map how different dengue serotypes shape immune memory and imprint prior infections, which can influence disease outcomes and vaccine responses. They apply advanced immune profiling and data analysis to understand which antibody features correlate with protection or risk, with implications for vaccines and public health strategies. The work combines clinical observations with laboratory analyses to connect real-world infections to immune mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide better vaccines and public-health approaches to prevent dengue and tailor interventions for children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous dengue studies have linked antibody profiles to protection, but this project aims for deeper, polyclonal and monoclonal mappings across all four serotypes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Eva — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Harris, Eva
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immune responses linked to severe dengue in children (primary infection)
This grant studies why some kids get very sick from their first dengue infection and how their immune system reacts differently from secondary infections.
-
Phase 2b trial of dengue vaccines TAK-003 and Butantan-DV to boost lasting, broad antibody protection
A trial tests whether giving a second dengue vaccine (Butantan-DV) after an initial TAK-003 shot can create stronger, longer-lasting antibodies that work against all dengue types.
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A vaccine study aims to guide the body’s T and B cells to fight all four dengue virus types safely and effectively.
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Selective GAK inhibitors to fight dengue, VEEV and other emerging viral infections
A Stanford team is testing new, selective inhibitors of GAK to block how certain viruses enter and exit cells, with the goal of a broad antiviral approach that could help people exposed to dengue, VEEV, and similar infections.
-
Defining immune markers predicting protection against dengue in a long-term family study in Thailand
This grant looks at how antibodies develop to protect against dengue in children from a long-running family cohort in Thailand, with the goal of identifying immune signs that predict protection across multiple dengue serotypes.
-
Understanding dengue protection in children from a long-term Thai family cohort
A long-term study in Thailand follows families to understand how early exposures to dengue shape protection and illness risk for children as they encounter the virus over time.
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.