Recent advances in Ebolavirus vaccine development

Abstract

Ebolavirus is a highly infectious pathogen with a case fatality rate as high as 90%. Currently there is a lack of licensed Ebolavirus vaccines as well as pre- and post-exposure treatments. Recent increases in the frequency of natural human Ebolavirus infections and its potential use as a bioterrorism agent makes vaccine development a priority for many nations. Significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of Ebolavirus infection and several promising vaccine candidates were shown to be successful in protecting NHPs against lethal infection. These include replication-deficient adenovirus vectors, replication-competent VSV, HPIV-3 vectors and viruslike particle preparations. Recent advances in the generation of effective post-exposure immunization strategies highlight the possibility of developing a single dose vaccine that will confer full protection in humans following Ebolavirus exposure. Post-exposure protection is particularly important in outbreak and biodefense settings, as well as clinical and laboratory settings in the case of accidental exposure. © 2010 Landes Bioscience.