Why some people get severe dengue during their first infection
Official title: Immune responses associated with severe disease in patients with primary dengue infection
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11190950 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the immune system responds in people who develop severe dengue the first time they are infected.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $521,185 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI186371-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190950 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children and other people in dengue-affected areas who have confirmed primary or secondary dengue infection, especially those showing severe symptoms.
✕Less likely to help
People without dengue infection or those with only mild illness are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will compare the immune responses of people with severe dengue from first-time (primary) infections to those with repeat (secondary) infections. They will collect blood samples to study innate immune cells, antibody features including binding and modifications, and CD4/CD8 T cell responses. The team will focus enrollment and sample work in India where severe primary dengue is common and use laboratory tests to measure platelets, monocytes, antibody function, and T cell activity. The goal is to find immune differences that explain why some people, including children, get very sick the first time they catch dengue.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify immune markers that help predict who is at risk of severe dengue and inform better treatments, vaccines, or early care strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown antibody-dependent enhancement contributes to severe dengue after repeat infections, but focused studies explaining severe outcomes in first-time infections are limited, so this work builds on known findings while addressing a less-studied problem.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaja, Murali Krishna — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Kaja, Murali Krishna
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.
-
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.
-
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.