Tuesday, March 28, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured News

Lipid Nanoparticle Therapeutic Treats Ebola in Monkeys

by Global Biodefense Staff
June 4, 2015
Ebola Virus Sample from Mali

Ebola virus (green) on a cell in culture. The virus was isolated in November 2014 from patient blood samples obtained in Mali. Credit: NIAID.

A team led by Dr. Thomas Geisbert at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, in collaboration with Tekmira Pharmaceuticals in Vancouver, Canada, have been developing therapies that can target specific strains of the Ebola virus.

The strategy uses small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules, short pieces of RNA designed and built with specific sequences that “interfere” with production of key proteins crucial for survival of the virus, without interfering with any processes in uninfected cells. An important advantage of siRNAs is that their sequences can be rapidly redesigned to target various strains of the Ebola virus.

The Tekmira team developed a new siRNA treatment, called siEbola-3, against the Makona outbreak strain of Ebola. Because directly administering siRNAs can cause harmful immune responses, the team encapsulated the siRNAs in lipid nanoparticles for safer delivery.

The UTMB scientists tested the lipid nanoparticle siRNA treatment in monkeys that had been exposed to the Makona strain. Animals treated 3 days after virus exposure—at which point they showed evidence of advanced disease—developed only mild symptoms and fully recovered. The animals showed less liver and kidney damage than normally occurs during an Ebola infection.

Untreated animals succumbed to the disease in a time course similar to what has been reported in patients who begin showing symptoms of Ebola.

“The candidate treatment was rapidly adapted to target the Makona outbreak strain of Ebola virus,” Geisbert says. “We were able to protect all of our nonhuman primates against a lethal Makona Ebola infection when treatment began 3 days following infection.”

The siEbola-3 agent is currently being administered to Ebola-infected patients in Sierra Leone in a phase 2 study. The researchers note that use of a blend of several different siRNAs could potentially be used to combat newly emerging viral strains.

The 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the largest Ebola outbreak in history. More than 25,000 cases and 10,000 deaths have been reported. It has caused more fatalities than all previous outbreaks combined.

The work was funded by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Tags: AntiviralsEbolaEmerging ThreatsVaccines

Related Posts

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions
Pathogens

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model
Medical Countermeasures

DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model

January 13, 2023
small glass vials on an assembly line await filling of vaccine solution
Industry News

Sabin Vaccine Institute to Advance Ebola Sudan and Marburg Vaccines with New BARDA Funding

January 12, 2023
How Are Bivalent COVID Vaccines Stacking Up Against Omicron?
Infectious Diseases

How Are Bivalent COVID Vaccines Stacking Up Against Omicron?

January 12, 2023
Load More

Latest News

Biodefense Headlines – 26 March 2023

March 26, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 12 March 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 12 March 2023

March 12, 2023
Partner Therapeutics’ Novel Approach to Stratify Sepsis Patients Gains Backing From BARDA

Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) Initiative Backed by $105M DOE Funding

January 25, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC