Team:UNA Honduras

 

Decoding Dengue Dynamics

Dengue fever is caused by the defensive reaction of the body to the invasion of a virus transmmited by mosquito bite. Is a big problem in developing countries and for over 70 years several attempts to create an effective vaccines have failed; the way to prevent disease is to control vectors: Aedes aegypti. There are at least 4 different virus serotypes which prevalence shifts every year, patients who suffered one particular serotype become immune for life, but getting another serotype, reaction is so severe that dengue becomes hemorrhagic and lethal most of the times. We designed synthetic proteins aimed to produce immunological response against dengue. Using databases and for proteins, epitopes and 3D structures programs we found epitopes for L and T white cells. Then selected a protein and inserted on its chain these epitopes from all serotypes, and 4 proteins containing just one serotype