 |
|
Vaccine for Ebola virus
March 31, 2008One of the world's deadliest diseases, caused by the Ebola virus, may finally be preventable thanks to US and Canadian researchers, who have successfully tested several Ebola vaccines in primates and are now looking to adapt them for human use.
Dr Anthony Sanchez, from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia is presenting an overview of Ebola vaccine development today (Monday 31 March 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's 162nd meeting being held this week at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
So far, there have been over 1500 cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in humans. Illness starts abruptly and symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, weakness, joint and muscle aches, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain. A rash, red eyes and bleeding may also occur. Ebola haemorrhagic fever can have a mortality rate of around 90% in humans.
Because Ebola virus is so dangerous, producing and testing a vaccine is extremely challenging for the scientists. One significant factor slowing down progress has been that there are only a very limited number of high containment facilities with staff capable and authorised to conduct the research.
"Ebola virus is a Biosafety Level 4 threat, along with many other haemorrhagic fever viruses", says Dr Sanchez. "As well as the difficulty in getting the right staff and facilities, vaccines for viruses like Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever have been difficult to produce because simple 'killed' viruses that just trigger an antibody response from the blood are not effective. For these viruses we need to get a cell-mediated response, which involves our bodies producing killer T-cells before immunity is strong enough to prevent or clear an infection."
The researchers have now used several different recombinant DNA techniques, which have allowed them to trigger a cell-mediated response and produce a vaccine that is effective in non-human primates. One of the candidate vaccines is about to be tested on people for the first time, after entering Phase 1 clinical trials in autumn 2006.
"Ebola virus infection of humans can be highly lethal but monkeys rarely survive the infection and have been very useful as animal models. Ebola vaccine trials using nonhuman primates have provided unambiguous results and have allowed the development of protective vaccines to progress rapidly", says Dr Sanchez. "Successful human trials will mean that we can vaccinate healthcare workers and other key personnel during outbreaks of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, helping us to protect their lives and control the spread of the disease".
The US team hopes that the findings from their studies will provide important insights that will improve or accelerate the future development of vaccines for other haemorrhagic fever viruses like Marburg virus, and agents such as HIV and avian influenza.
Society for General Microbiology
Ebola Virus Current Events and Ebola Virus News RSSScientists block Ebola infection in cell-culture experiments
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered two biochemical pathways that the Ebola virus relies on to infect cells.
Penn Study Identifies How Ebola Virus Avoids the Immune System
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have likely found one reason why the Ebola virus is such a powerful, deadly, and effective virus. Using a cell culture model for Ebola virus infection, they have discovered that the virus disables a cellular protein called tetherin that normally can block the spread of virus from cell to cell.
Iowa State University researchers discover structure of key Ebola protein
Research led by Iowa State University scientists has them a step closer to finding a way to counter the Ebola virus.
Scientists discover new species of Ebola virus
Scientists report the discovery of a new species of Ebola virus, provisionally named Bundibugyo ebolavirus, November 21 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.
Scientists uncover Ebola cell-invasion strategy
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered a key biochemical link in the process by which the Ebola Zaire virus infects cells - a critical step to finding a way to treat the deadly disease produced by the virus.
Wildlife Conservation Society discovers 'Planet of the Apes'
The world's population of critically endangered western lowland gorillas received a huge boost today when the Wildlife Conservation Society released a census showing massive numbers of these secretive great apes alive and well in the Republic of Congo.
Scripps research scientists reveal key structure from ebola virus
Described in the July 10, 2008 issue of the journal Nature, the research reveals the shape of the Ebola virus spike protein, which is necessary for viral entry into human cells, bound to an immune system antibody acting to neutralize the virus.
Penn scientists find a protein that inhibits Ebola from reaching out to infect neighboring cells
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a protein, ISG15, that inhibits the Ebola virus from budding, the process by which viruses escape from cells and spread to infect neighboring cells.
Emerging infectious diseases on the rise: Next target 'hotspot' predicted
It's not just your imagination. Providing the first-ever definitive proof, a team of scientists has shown that emerging infectious diseases such as HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus and Ebola are indeed on the rise.
Study garners unique mating photos of wild gorillas
Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have released the first known photographs of gorillas performing face-to-face copulation in the wild. This is the first time that western gorillas have been observed and photographed mating in such a manner.
More Ebola Virus Current Events and Ebola Virus News Articles
 |
Ebola by Dr. William Close (Author) IT STRIKES WITHOUT WARNING--A HORRIFYING, LETHAL DISEASE WITH NO NAME. AND NO CURE. . . . Now, from the molten center of the "hot zone," comes a terrifying, completely authentic novel of medical suspense by William T. Close, M.D., the American physician who lived in Zaire for sixteen years, and who worked desperately to contain the first outbreak of the virus in 1976. Haunted by the images from this wrenching time, and unable to forget the people he knew and lost, Dr. Close was compelled to tell their story. EBOLA, inspired by his personal experience and based upon extensive research, is an unforgettable portrait of this devastating drama, which all began with an invisible, unknown killer . . . . EBOLA At a Catholic mission in Yambuku, a remote area of Zaire, Mabalo Lokela, a local... |
 |
NOVA: Ebola - The Plague Fighters Starring: Nova Directed By: Nova Enter the "hot zone" of one of the most frightful diseases on the planet- Ebola. When a dreaded outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus swept through a remote region of Zaire in May 1995, NOVA was the only film crew permitted into the "hot zone." Spending a total of four weeks in the quarantined city of Kikwit, the result is unprecedented journalistic coverage of this grim battle against one of the world's most lethal diseases. The Ebola plague kills a very high percentage of its victims (77% in Kikwit), often by dissolving their internal organs and connective tissue. Learn how disease specialists traced the origins of the outbreak by compiling a complete "chain of death" of the epidemic, and why they fear a mutation of Ebola will emerge that is even more difficult to contain. |
![Emerging Viruses - AIDS, Ebola & Vaccinations [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PKQ4NTJ3L._SL160_.jpg) |
Emerging Viruses - AIDS, Ebola & Vaccinations [VHS] Starring: Len Horowitz This video is a classic. Based on the best-selling book by the same name, Dr. Len Horowitz presents the definitive exploration into the origins of the AIDS and Ebola viruses. Claims that these "emerging viruses" naturally evolved and then jumped species from monkey to man are laughable in light of the documented evidence in this extraordinary television program. These bizarre germs were undoubtedly man-made creations, accidentally or intentionally transmitted via tainted vaccines in the U.S. and Africa. The genocidal theory of AIDS is meticulously explored within the social and political context of this stormy period of American military science. This television program exposes the potential motives of administrations responsible for this atrocity, and the methods they continue... |
 |
Emerging Viruses: AIDS And Ebola : Nature, Accident or Intentional? by Leonard G. Horowitz (Author) |
 |
Ebola Virus Micrograph Enhansed Photographic Poster Print, 24x18 by Art.com Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art prints, posters, photographs, and framed artwork. With our huge selection of over 400,000 prints, you'll easily find the perfect piece for your home, office, or classroom. Our art is printed on quality paper. When you order framed artwork, the piece is built by our team of in-house professionals. Visit our Amazon store today at www.amazon.com/artdotcom to find Special Offers and search for products based on 'Artist Name' and 'Subject Categories' such as Movie, Music, Vintage, TV, Children, Travel, Kitchen, Museum Art, Animals, Floral, Motivational, and Sports. Art.com is dedicated to providing you with high quality products and service by offering you 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We ship internationally to over 80 countries. Decorate your... |
 |
Banned Electro (Ebola Virus Remix) Hoinh (Primary Contributor) |
 |
Ebola: Through the Eyes of the People by William T. Close (Author) At a Catholic Mission in Yambuku, an oasis of peace and efficiency in northern Congo's vast jungle forests, Mabalo Lokela, a teacher, receives an anti-malarial shot for a raging fever and headache. Sister Lucie, a Flemish nursing sister, swishes out a syringe with a weak disinfectant. The next patients are injected with the same syringe and the sick man's virus spreads. Lokela was the first Congolese victim of a new African hemorrhagic disease that became known as Ebola fever. When Sister Lucie dies a few days later, panic erupts and hospitalized patients flee into the forest. With the convent connected to the outside world by a single primitive radio, the mission nuns can only pray and wonder if anyone will act on their cries for help. |
 |
Ebola Syndrome Starring: Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Yeung Ming Wan, Fui-On Shing, Wong Tsui-ling, Miu-Ying Chan Directed By: Herman Yau Also With: Jing Wong (Producer), Ting Chau (Writer)
Kai San is a sleazy and despicable bastard of the most epic proportions! After being caught screwing the wife of his boss, he goes on a killing spree and flees Hong Kong. 10 years later, Kai finds himself working as a restaurant chef in South Africa. Overworked, underpaid, berated, and extorted by the restaurant owners who know of his fugitive status, Kai is a ticking timebomb... While visiting an ebola infected... |
 |
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston (Author) A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction. From the Paperback edition. |
|
|
Ebola Virus Micrograph Enhansed Photographic Poster Print, 16x12 by AllPosters.com AllPosters.com is the world's #1 seller of posters, prints, photographs, specialty products and framed art. We're dedicated to bringing our customers the best selection of high quality wall décor that is perfect for their home or office. Browse our catalog of over 300,000 items that include entertainment and specialty posters, decorative prints, and art reproductions. Whether you're looking for your favorite movie or music poster, a framed Monet reproduction, or a print of the Eiffel Tower you will find it at AllPosters.com. Visit our Amazon store today at www.amazon.com/allposters to find Special Offers and search by subject category or artist. AllPosters.com provides unmatched service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We ship internationally to over 80 countries. Decorate your... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |