Unravelling the Measles Paradox in Children

Measles is caused by measles virus (MeV). The disease is associated with lymphopenia and immune suppression, which is an important cause of measles-associated morbidity and mortality. Measles-induced immune suppression can last several years, whereas measles lymphopenia is usually resolved within two weeks. At the same time, measles induces lifelong immunity. This apparent contradiction, known as the 'measles paradox', was partially solved when investigators demonstrated that MeV infects and depletes pre-existing memory cells, thereby causing 'immune amnesia'. This model is supported by observations in animal models and clinical studies, but several questions remain to be addressed, like the duration of measles-induced amnesia and changes in the immune repertoire after measles. to address the immunological questions regarding MeV infection.

NCT Number	NCT06923631
Lead Sponsor	Erasmus Medical Center
Conditions	MEASLES DISEASE
Enrollment	100 participants
Start Date	2026-01-03
Primary Completion	2029-04-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2029-04-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-11-26