Host immunity and vaccine development against Dengue virus

Dengue is one of the most prevalent and influential mosquito-borne viral infections in the world. According to 1 modeling estimate, the World Health Organization indicated that the annual cases of dengue virus (DENV) infection are as high as 390 million, placing more than half of the global population at risk. Despite its overwhelming prevalence, there is still no effective control method for containing this rapidly spreading disease. The only vaccine currently licensed for use is Dengvaxia, a tetravalent chimeric vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur in 2019. However, this vaccine fails to elicit a balanced immune response against all 4 serotypes of DENV and causes severe side effects in seronegative vaccine recipients. Vaccines naturally stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses, which are crucial for vaccine immunogenicity and clinical protection. This article focuses on these 2 immune responses triggered by DENV and their relationship with the efficacy of various vaccine candidates. This information will help us understand the vaccine immune response and relevant clinical protective efficacy further, providing insights into the development of new vaccines. Finally, we summarize feasible approaches for future vaccine development.