UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS OF INFECTION AND IMMUNITY OF ZIKA VIRUS IN MOUSE MODELS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPIES

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) has re-emerged as an arbovirus of public health concern due to its ability to cause congenital deformities and neurological complications in adults. The adaptive immune responses elicited upon ZIKV infection remain poorly understood since intensive efforts within the scientific community focused mainly on the innate immunity. Importantly, no licensed treatments or vaccines are available at the onset of this project. Thus, my PhD project aimed to investigate the adaptive immunity upon ZIKV infection, which would aid in the assessment of potential therapeutics against ZIKV. Overall, the projects reported in my PhD thesis have demonstrated the importance of adaptive immunity in mediating both immuno-protection and immunopathology during ZIKV infection, and will no doubt provide important insights on the design and development of future therapeutics against ZIKV.