New hope in the fight against Ebola virus

A dose of ChAd3 vaccine can help the monkeys in the laboratory immune to Ebola virus for a short time and a repeat dose will have a longer-lasting effect.

>>>Successfully tested Ebola drugs in short-tailed monkeys

This is the conclusion of a group of scientists at the Center for Vaccine Research of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), published in the journal Nature Medicine on September 7.

The researchers gave ChAd3 vaccines to a group of monkeys and 5 weeks later administered one dose of Ebola virus to them.

Medical staff in protective clothing helps patients suspected of catching Ebola at Elwa hospital in Monrovia, Liberia on September 7.(Source: AFP / VNA)

Some were then re-vaccinated with a new dose of vaccine. As a result, four monkeys were given a single dose of vaccine that was immune to Ebola infection, but the preventive effect gradually decreased over time. After 10 months, only 2 children have immunity.

Meanwhile, 4 monkeys that were given the initial injection and the repeated nose after 8 weeks have complete immunity within 10 months from the first day of injection.

NIAID claims to be the first unit to develop a vaccine for long-term prevention of Ebola, the virus has so far claimed 2,097 lives out of a total of 3,944 cases, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Nancy Sullivan of the center said the new vaccine was prepared based on ChaAd3 virus in chimpanzees. They use this virus as an agent to transmit Ebola's DNA into human cells.

The DNA fragments themselves do not transmit the disease but promote the cells of vaccine recipients to accept Ebola and develop immunity to the virus. The repeated dose of another agent is smallpox virus.

On August 28, NIAID announced that it will begin testing ChAd3 on humans in early September after having a positive study in monkeys. The results of these tests are expected to be available later this year.

If approved, the new vaccine will help prevent disease in people in outbreaks or people exposed to occupation.