Background: Dengue Virus (DENV) and Zika Virus (ZIKV) are closely related flaviviruses, circulating in overlapping\ngeographical regions. The recent ZIKV epidemic has been linked to an explosion in reports of microcephaly and\nneurological defects. It is conceivable that our knowledge of DENV might potentiate the development of a ZIKV\nvaccine due to the close phylogenetic relationship between these flaviviruses and cross-reactive antibodies,\nprincipally to the envelope protein (E protein). Alternatively, cross-reactive antibodies that are generated following\nvaccination or infection, might become damaging during subsequent infections.\nMain body: The aims of this review are to collate and analyse data from a recent series of DENV-derived\nmonoclonal antibody (mAb) panels from different research groups. These panels measured DENV-mAb activity\nagainst ZIKV in terms of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and neutralisation. Methodology used across\ngroups was compared and critiqued. Furthermore, the specific antibody targets on E protein were considered and\ntheir therapeutic potential evaluated. Shortcomings of hmAb panels suggest ADE may be over-estimated and\nneutralisation underestimated, as compared to clinical situations. It remains unknown whether preference of\nenhancement or neutralisation by antibodies to ZIKV E protein is dictated by quantitative aspects of antibody\ntitre or epitope specific variation. Additionally, little is known about how duration between flavivirus reinfections\naffect secondary antibody response.\nConclusion: This review concludes that our current knowledge of cross-reactive antibodies to E protein is\ninadequate to anticipate the outcome of deploying an E protein based vaccine to regions co-infected by DENV and\nZIKV.
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