UTMB developed the vaccine with biotechnology company Profectus BioSciences, and the vaccine has been tested it in the Galveston (Texas) National Laboratory, the only fully operational Biosafety Level 4 laboratory on an academic campus in the country.
The vaccine — developed by the multidisciplinary team using a nonhuman primate model — employs a virus not harmful to humans called vesicular stomatitis virus that had a part of the Ebola virus inserted into it to trigger an immune response.
“These findings may pave the way for the identification and manufacture of safer, single-dose, high-efficiency vaccines to combat current and future Ebola outbreaks,” said Thomas Geisbert, PhD, UTMB professor of microbiology and immunology. “We are excited at the possibility of helping develop a way to stop this deadly disease. We have a lot of more work to accomplish but it’s important to note that this is a big step.”
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