Designing dengue protein vaccines that protect without making disease worse
Official title: Structure based design of dengue subunit vaccines for inducing protective but not disease enhancing antibodies
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11326175 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are making new dengue protein vaccines to help children and others produce protective antibodies while avoiding antibody responses that can make dengue more severe.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | April 21, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $723,184 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI161025-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326175 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People at risk for dengue—particularly children under 11 in areas where dengue is common or travelers to those regions—would be the main candidates for this type of vaccine.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not exposed to dengue, those with certain severe immune problems, or pregnant individuals may not benefit or be eligible for this vaccine approach.
What this research studies
This project builds vaccines from dengue envelope proteins and virus-like particles that show the immune system the same shapes targeted by protective human antibodies. Scientists use computer-guided changes to lock two envelope proteins together so they present those protective shapes stably. The team will test these redesigned proteins in the lab and in mice to see if they prompt antibody responses like those seen after safe, protective infections. They will also alter the protein surface to steer the immune response away from antibodies that can enhance disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to a safer, broadly protective dengue vaccine that lowers the risk of severe, vaccine-enhanced disease, especially in children.
How similar studies have gone: Live attenuated dengue vaccines have shown mixed results and risks of unbalanced protection, while structure-guided subunit approaches like stabilized E dimers are promising but remain largely unproven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Desilva, Aravinda M. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Desilva, Aravinda M.
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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.