This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Human vaccine for Nipah, Hendra viruses in development
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A human vaccine to protect against the Nipah and Hendra viruses is to be developed through an agreement between the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Profectus BioSciences Inc. and Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
Kerala in Southern India has been recently affected by a Nipah virus outbreak, which has killed at least 10 people, according to local reports. The zoonotic disease, which is found in various species of Pteropid fruit bats, first emerged in the 1990s — along with its close relative, Hendra virus — causing outbreaks in both humans and livestock, according to a press release. WHO estimates that the Nipah virus has a 75% fatality rate.
Christopher Broder, PhD , professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the emerging infectious diseases graduate program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), has been involved in the development of a vaccine to protect against the Nipah and Hendra viruses.
“It is a single dose, extremely safe, simple and highly effective vaccine that has proven time and time again to provide complete protection against two incredibly deadly viral pathogens that are a biological threat to not only people but important livestock as well,” Broder said in the release.
The vaccine mechanism works by using the G glycoprotein, found in the Nipah and Hendra viruses, which allows the virus to attach to and infect cells. According to the release, the vaccine mechanism allows antibodies to bind to the virus’ G glycoprotein, neutralizing the virus and preventing cell infection within the host. The G glycoprotein is produced in a soluble form (sG), and vaccine production does not involve a viral or infectious agent, resulting in a favorable safety profile.
The sG vaccine technology was first developed by Broder and Katharine Bossart, PhD, chief scientific officer at Integrated Research Associates, over 15 years ago. It was found to protect against the Nipah and Hendra viruses in animal models, as was the antibody therapy developed by Broder and Dimiter Dimitrov, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
As the next step in the Nipah vaccine development for humans, Thomas Geisbert, PhD, professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, will conduct preclinical studies at the University of Texas’ level 4 facility. Additionally, a clinical assay to evaluate immune response will be developed by USU, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and Profectus.
Disclosures: Infectious Disease News was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.