How prior dengue infections shape T cell responses after a new infection or vaccine
Official title: Project 3: Immunological imprinting of T cell responses following dengue virus natural infections and live attenuated dengue virus vaccination
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11415564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a person’s existing dengue immunity affects their body's T cell response when exposed to a different dengue serotype or a live dengue vaccine, with a focus on kids and how this influences protection and safety.
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) | $275,633 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI106695-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children and adolescents with prior dengue exposure who may be involved in future studies or whose samples are used to map T cell responses to different dengue serotypes or vaccines.
✕Less likely to help
Some participants may not directly benefit if they are not part of the specific immunology analyses or if the study uses archived samples.
What this research studies
This program project studies how dengue-specific CD8 T cells respond when a person who has been exposed before encounters a different dengue serotype or a live attenuated dengue vaccine. Researchers have developed methods to measure how many T cells are involved, what kinds of T cells they are, and which viral targets they recognize. They will use pediatric samples from Nicaragua to examine how the T cell memory changes after re-infection and whether the repertoire becomes broader or more focused. The work aims to link pre-existing T cell immunity to outcomes such as protection or enhanced disease, and to inform vaccine safety and design. The project combines detailed immunology with real-world pediatric samples to improve understanding of dengue immunity in children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help tailor dengue vaccines and predict which children are most likely to be protected or at risk of adverse outcomes after vaccination or infection.
How similar studies have gone: Previous dengue immunology studies have shown that pre-existing T cell memory influences responses, but this project extends understanding with pediatric, serotype-difference and live vaccine context.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiskopf, Daniela — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Weiskopf, Daniela
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Protective dengue vaccines that steer T and B cell responses
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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How the immune system responds to dengue vaccines and infection
This project compares immune reactions in people given different dengue vaccine formulations to find why one vaccine fully prevented DENV-2 infection while another did not.
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Protective immunity after dengue infections and vaccination
Researchers are studying how our immune system remembers dengue and how vaccines influence that protection, aiming to spot clues that predict who remains protected or at risk after infection or vaccination.
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Dengue vaccine-B cell and T cell responses linked to protection after controlled dengue infection
A Johns Hopkins-led study will look at how the body’s B and T cells respond to dengue vaccines and how these responses relate to protection against dengue infection in people who participate in a controlled infection model.
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How long dengue vaccine protection lasts in areas where dengue is common
This project looks at immune responses after dengue vaccination to find which people keep protection longest in places where dengue is common.
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How past dengue infection or vaccination shapes T cell immunity
This project looks at how previous dengue infections or a weakened dengue vaccine change T cells in children and others exposed to dengue.
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.