A vaccine trial on chimpanzees conducted at the New Iberia Research Center could help protect endangered wild apes from the Ebola virus and other deadly infectious diseases.
Researchers tested a virus-like particle vaccine, which contains a small amount of viral proteins but can小蝌蚪APP檛 replicate. The trial is believed to be the first time that a vaccine intended for apes 小蝌蚪APP rather than humans 小蝌蚪APP has been tested on captive chimpanzees. Results were published in an issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal earlier this summer.
Subsequent media coverage from many national and international media outlets underscored the significance of the groundbreaking trial. 小蝌蚪APP淎t first glance, the study looked like a lot of other medical research, in which drugs that are meant for humans are first tested on other animals. But this was different. These scientists were working with chimps to help chimps,小蝌蚪APP a National Geographic online article noted.
Vaccines haven小蝌蚪APP檛 been used to fight outbreaks of diseases in chimpanzees and gorillas because of concerns about the vaccines小蝌蚪APP safety. Conservationists, however, are becoming increasingly receptive to their potential due to high mortality rates, said Dr. Joe Simmons, NIRC director.
The virus, which causes an aggressive hemorrhagic fever, has decimated world populations of chimpanzees and gorillas. The disease is also deadly for people. It小蝌蚪APP檚 transmitted through human contact and through consumption of animals that have contracted Ebola.
An outbreak of the Zaire strain of Ebola in West Africa 小蝌蚪APP the largest ever 小蝌蚪APP had caused at least 780 documented cases and more than 481 deaths, as of mid-July. Chimpanzees at the NIRC were tested for the same strain. Researchers determined that apes given the virus-like particles and an adjuvant, a substance that enhances immune system response, developed enough resistance to survive the Zaire strain.
小蝌蚪APP淲e demonstrated that they had antibodies that would be protective,小蝌蚪APP Simmons said.