title: Towards broad protection against Ebolaviruses.
abstract: The Ebola and Marburg viruses (from the filovirus family) induce deadly hemorrhagic fevers for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or treatment. Frequent outbreaks have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, in humans and nonhuman primates over the last 15 years or so and constitute a major public health problem. Of particular concern, a new species of Ebolavirus recently emerged in Uganda, highlighting the high potential of these viruses to evolve and the need to develop 'broad-spectrum' vaccines against filoviruses. Hensley et al. used their well studied vaccine platform based on DNA vectors and recombinant, replication-defective, adenoviruses producing Ebolavirus glycoproteins to protect cynomolgus monkeys against a heterologous challenge with the new species. Further developments are required before this experimental approach could be adapted for field use in humans, but this study nevertheless constitutes a proof-of-concept for broad protection against Ebolaviruses.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, IFR128 Biosciences Gerland, Lyon Sud, 21 av. Tony Garnier, 69365 Lyon cedex 7, France. sylvain.baize@inserm.fr
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baize