Two clever human antibodies can target Ebola and Sudan virus
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Loading... - Morowa Sowah
- 24 Oct 2022
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Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are designing better therapies for treating Ebola virus and its deadly relatives.
Despite the name confusion, Ebola virus is just one species in the Ebolavirus genus. There's the Ebola virus (two words) species, and then there's Sudan ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Taï Forest ebolavirus and Bombali ebolavirus.
These viruses are all dangerous, but scientists so far have only developed therapies against the more well-known Ebola virus. To save lives, doctors need broad-spectrum therapies that neutralize as many Ebolavirus species as possible.
LJI President and CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D. and her partner Rafi Ahmed, Ph.D. at Emory University are on the hunt for human antibodies that target vulnerable sites across Ebolavirus species.
The team's latest study, published in Cell, shows that two clever human antibodies can target two ebolavirus species at once: Ebola virus and Sudan virus. These two species are responsible for the biggest, deadliest outbreaks. The new report suggests researchers could combine these two potent antibodies to make a powerful antiviral therapy. Read More...
