This has the potential to have an enormous positive impact on global public health.
- Jonathan Heeney
Researchers from the University of Cambridge will shortly begin clinical trials of a new vaccine that builds on almost two decades of research to protect against diseases caused by RNA viruses. At the same time, they will begin studying the natural animal reservoirs of the viruses in an attempt to try and predict which strains are likely to cause future outbreaks, information that will be essential for creating effective vaccines.
Ebola, Lassa and Marburg viruses cause haemorrhagic fever, leading to severe disease, often with high mortality rates. Outbreaks can cause devastating local epidemics in the human population and to wildlife, including non-human primates. The recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa (2013–2016) killed over 11,000 people and devastated the infrastructure and economies of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
A new approach to vaccine development
Professor Jonathan Heeney and colleagues at the Lab of Viral Zoonotics, University of Cambridge, have developed and successfully tested a trivalent vaccine in guinea pigs that protects against Ebola, Lassa and Marburg viruses. As a result, Professor Heeney has been awarded a further £2 million by Innovate UK and the Department of Health and Social Care to take the vaccine to clinical trials in humans.
The research takes a new approach pioneered by Professor Heeney and builds on Cambridge’s strengths in genomics, monoclonal antibody research and computational biology. It has led to the formation of DIOSynVax, a spin-out company of Cambridge Enterprise.
Image: Ebola Vaccine Study in West Africa
Credit: NIAID
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge