How the immune system responds to dengue vaccines and infection
Official title: Immune phenotyping of human immune responses to dengue vaccination and challenge
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11481645 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 22, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $186,380 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI168631-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11481645 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have received experimental dengue vaccines or who would consider joining dengue vaccine or controlled human challenge trials.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatment for acute dengue illness or those ineligible for vaccine trials (for example, severely immunocompromised individuals) are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
You would be hearing about immune features measured in people who received either a four-serotype live dengue vaccine (TV003) or a three-serotype mix missing DENV-2, and some volunteers were later exposed to a weakened DENV-2 virus. Researchers will use stored blood cells (PBMCs) and other samples from those clinical trials and profile innate and adaptive immune responses over time. Labs will run detailed immune cell and genetic tests using multiparameter assays to map which responses track with protection or breakthrough infection. The goal is to link specific cellular and molecular signatures to whether someone was protected from viremia and rash after DENV-2 challenge.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help design safer, more effective dengue vaccines that protect against all four serotypes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous challenge work showed TV003 provided complete protection against DENV-2 while the trivalent mix provided much less protection, but the detailed cellular mechanisms remain to be defined.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fernandez-Sesma, Ana — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Fernandez-Sesma, Ana
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 prior dengue infections shape T cell responses after a new infection or vaccine
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.
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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.
-
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.