Article
Immunology
Wenjun Zhu, Guodong Liu, Wenguang Cao, Shihua He, Anders Leung, Ute Stroher, Michael J. Fairchild, Rick Nichols, Joseph Crowell, Joan Fusco, Logan Banadyga
Summary: This study confirms the protective efficacy of a cloned rVSV candidate vaccine against MARV and highlights the potential predictive value of the guinea pig model in evaluating MARV countermeasures.
Review
Microbiology
Shriyansh Srivastava, Deepika Sharma, Sachin Kumar, Aditya Sharma, Rishikesh Rijal, Ankush Asija, Suraj Adhikari, Sarvesh Rustagi, Sanjit Sah, Zahraa Haleem Al-qaim, Prashant Bashyal, Aroop Mohanty, Joshuan J. Barboza, Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales, Ranjit Sah
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the Marburg virus (MV) disease, including its outbreak evolution, virus structure and genome, sources and transmission routes, as well as pathophysiology and management strategies. The review aims to enhance understanding of the disease and promote advancements in treatment and vaccine development for MV.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Lindsay A. Parish, Eric J. Stavale, Christopher R. Houchens, Daniel N. Wolfe
Summary: Outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by filoviruses, including Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, have been increasing in recent years. While a licensed vaccine is available for Ebola virus, vaccine candidates for Sudan virus and Marburg virus are still in early stages of development. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has taken key actions to prepare and respond to outbreaks, working with partners and expediting vaccine manufacturing. It is crucial to continue advancing vaccines for Sudan virus and Marburg virus amidst new outbreaks.
Article
Immunology
Jinhao Bi, Haojie Wang, Qiuxue Han, Hongyan Pei, Hualei Wang, Hongli Jin, Song Jin, Hang Chi, Songtao Yang, Yongkun Zhao, Feihu Yan, Liangpeng Ge, Xianzhu Xia
Summary: Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a lethal viral haemorrhagic fever caused by Marburg virus (MARV) with a case fatality rate as high as 88%. There is currently no vaccine or antiviral therapy approved for MVD. Three recombinant rabies virus vector vaccines encoding two copies of GPs covering both MARV lineages were found to induce neutralizing antibodies in mice and a humanized mouse model, suggesting their potential as candidates for MVD vaccines.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Megan R. Edwards, Olivia A. Vogel, Hiroyuki Mori, Robert A. Davey, Christopher F. Basler
Summary: This study investigates the role of VP30 in Marburg virus transcription. It demonstrates that VP30 is essential for the transcription reinitiation at the GP gene start site, resulting in the loss of expression of GP and downstream genes when VP30 is absent. The study also identifies a region at the GP gene start site and a zinc binding motif in VP30 as critical factors for transcription reinitiation. These findings enhance our understanding of Marburg virus gene expression regulation.
Article
Immunology
Axel T. Lehrer, Eleanore Chuang, Madhuri Namekar, Caitlin A. Williams, Teri Ann S. Wong, Michael M. Lieberman, Alex Granados, John Misamore, Jake Yalley-Ogunro, Hanne Andersen, Joan B. Geisbert, Krystle N. Agans, Robert W. Cross, Thomas W. Geisbert
Summary: The recombinant subunit vaccine platform shows potential in preventing Ebola, Marburg, and Sudan Virus Disease, with candidate vaccines eliciting potent immune responses in animal studies and providing effective protection against lethal virus infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Machteld M. Tiemessen, Laura Solforosi, Liesbeth Dekking, Dominika Czapska-Casey, Jan Serroyen, Nancy J. Sullivan, Ariane Volkmann, Maria Grazia Pau, Benoit Callendret, Hanneke Schuitemaker, Kerstin Luhn, Roland Zahn, Ramon Roozendaal
Summary: The Marburg and Sudan viruses, belonging to the filovirus family, cause aggressive diseases with high mortality rates. A two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen (Ad26.Filo, MVA-BN-Filo) has been shown to provide fully protective immune responses against Marburg virus, Sudan virus, and Ebola virus in non-human primates. The vaccine-induced glycoprotein-binding antibodies remain stable for over a year, suggesting the regimen as a potential prophylactic vaccination strategy against filovirus outbreaks.
Article
Virology
Laura Cooper, Jazmin Galvan Achi, Lijun Rong
Summary: The study found that the entry mechanism of Mengla virus (MLAV) shares similarities with Marburg virus (MARV). MLAV utilizes NPC1 as a receptor to enter mammalian cells and has the ability to suppress IFN response. Similar to Ebola virus (EBOV) and MARV, MLAV requires proteolytic processing but does not depend on cathepsin B activity.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Courtney L. Finch, Christian Martinez, Elizabeth Leffel, Mario H. Skiadopoulos, Adam Hacker, Betty Mwesigwa, Diadie Maiga, Ian Mugisa, Grant Munkwase, Roxana Rustomjee
Summary: Clinical vaccine development and regulatory approval generally occurs in a linear, sequential manner. For candidate filovirus vaccines, where correlates of protection have not been identified and traditional efficacy trials are difficult, a new licensure process based on risk/benefit assessment specific to regional needs and informed by epidemiology is being explored.
Article
Immunology
Marion F. Gruber, Steven Rubin, Philip R. Krause
Summary: Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), and Marburg virus (MARV) are Filoviridae family members that can cause severe disease and death in humans and animals. The reappearance of Ebola, Sudan, and Marburg virus diseases emphasizes the need for continuous availability of safe and effective vaccines, as well as the development of new vaccines. Randomized controlled trials using disease endpoints provide the most reliable assessment of vaccine effectiveness, but face challenges due to the unpredictability of filovirus disease outbreaks. Therefore, alternative approaches to demonstrate vaccine effectiveness have been considered, including the use of other preventive vaccines as examples. In addition, this article proposes a clinical immunobridging strategy that uses licensed EBOV vaccines as comparators to demonstrate the effectiveness of filovirus vaccine candidates based on the same licensed vaccine platform technology.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinrong Long, Changxiao Yu, Yiming Cao, Yiqi Miao, Huisheng Sun, Zhen Zhang, Jierui Mai, Xin Wang, Yingying Mao, Hongwei Li, Jing Yang, Shengqi Wang
Summary: Rabies is a deadly viral disease and vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent and control it. Researchers have developed an mRNA-based vaccine that can be produced quickly and in large quantities. This vaccine has shown robust immune responses and long-term protection in mice and dogs.
Article
Immunology
Courtney L. Finch, Thomas H. King, Kendra J. Alfson, Katie A. Albanese, Julianne N. P. Smith, Paul Smock, Jocelyn Jakubik, Yenny Goez-Gazi, Michal Gazi, John W. W. Dutton III, Elizabeth A. Clemmons, Marc E. Mattix, Ricardo Carrion Jr, Thomas Rudge Jr, Alex Ridenour, Sovann F. Woodin, Ruth Hunegnaw, Nancy J. Sullivan, Rong Xu
Summary: Marburg virus is a highly threatening virus to humans, and there is currently no approved vaccine. This study shows that a vaccine expressing Marburg virus glycoprotein can provide 100% protection in macaques and generate specific antibodies. The vaccine demonstrates reproducible and robust protective efficacy, making it a promising candidate for Marburg virus disease prevention.
Article
Virology
Katendi Changula, Edgar Simulundu, Boniface Pongombo Lombe, Eri Nakayama, Hiroko Miyamoto, Yuji Takahashi, Hirofumi Sawa, Chuma Simukonda, Bernard M. Hang'ombe, Ayato Takada
Summary: In wild baboons and vervet monkeys captured in Zambia, seropositive NHPs for both ebolaviruses and marburgviruses were found, suggesting nonlethal exposure to these filoviruses. The study underscores the importance of continuous monitoring of filovirus infection in wild animals to understand their ecology and assess potential risks of outbreaks in previously nonendemic countries.
Article
Virology
Sudip Khadka, Caroline G. Williams, Joyce Sweeney-Gibbons, Christopher F. Basler
Summary: The study shows that MARV and EBOV 3' UTRs can modulate translation, sometimes negatively. Editing by ADAR1 or deletion of specific regions within the translation suppressing 3' UTRs can alleviate their negative effects. These findings suggest that filovirus 3' UTRs contain translation regulatory elements modulated by ADAR1 activation, indicating a complex interplay between filovirus gene expression and innate immunity.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Caiquan Zhao, Jie Gao, Yongzhi Wang, Lina Ji, Hui Qin, Wei Hu, Yang Yang
Summary: This study describes a novel recombinant bovine herpes virus type I expressing rabies virus glycoprotein, which induced a protective immune response in mice and cattle.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shuyun Qin, Dmitriy Volokhov, Elvira Rodionova, Christoph Wirblich, Matthias J. Schnell, Vladimir Chizhikov, Alena Dabrazhynetskaya
Editorial Material
Immunology
Emma Taylor, Ashley C. Banyard, Herve Bourhy, Florence Cliquet, Hildegund Ertl, Christine Fehlner-Gardiner, Daniel L. Horton, Reeta S. Mani, Thomas Mueller, Charles E. Rupprecht, Matthias J. Schnell, Victor Del Rio Vilas, Anthony R. Fooks
Article
Immunology
Drishya Kurup, Christine R. Fisher, Todd G. Smith, Tiago Abreu-Mota, Yong Yang, Felix R. Jackson, Nadia Gallardo-Romero, Richard Franka, Victor Bronshtein, Matthias J. Schnell
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Virology
Venice Du Pont, Christoph Wirblich, Jeong-Joong Yoon, Robert M. Cox, Matthias J. Schnell, Richard K. Plemper
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shih-Heng Chen, Amy Papaneri, Mitzie Walker, Erica Scappini, Robert D. Keys, Negin P. Martin
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Drishya Kurup, Christoph Wirblich, Holly Ramage, Matthias J. Schnell
Article
Microbiology
Drishya Kurup, Delphine C. Malherbe, Christoph Wirblich, Rachael Lambert, Adam J. Ronk, Leila Zabihi Diba, Alexander Bukreyev, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: The study developed an inactivated rabies virus vectored vaccine platform, resulting in a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 named CORAVAX. CORAVAX demonstrated effectiveness in preventing viral replication and lung disease in hamster models, showing potential for robust immune responses in humans.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jonathan Cramer, Adem Lakkaichi, Butrint Aliu, Roman P. Jakob, Sebastian Klein, Ivan Cattaneo, Xiaohua Jiang, Said Rabbani, Oliver Schwardt, Gert Zimmer, Matias Ciancaglini, Tiago Abreu Mota, Timm Maier, Beat Ernst
Summary: DC-SIGN is a pattern recognition receptor implicated in virus dissemination and innate immune response stimulation, making it a potential target for host-directed strategies to attenuate the progression of viral infections. The discovery of potent glycomimetic ligands with improved binding affinity provides promising prospects for the development of targeted therapeutics against a broad spectrum of viral infections.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kerstin Narr, Yusuf I. Ertuna, Benedict Fallet, Karen Cornille, Mirela Dimitrova, Anna-Friederike Marx, Katrin Martin, Tiago Jose Abreu Mota, Marco Kunzli, David Schreiner, Tobias M. Brunner, Mario Kreutzfeldt, Ingrid Wagner, Florian Geier, Lukas Bestmann, Max Loehning, Doron Merkler, Carolyn G. King, Daniel D. Pinschewer
Summary: The study found that vaccination-induced CD4 T cells prevented the decimation of B cells in chronically virus-infected mice by instructing a germinal center B cell transcriptional program. When IFN-I was blocked, B cell responses were largely T independent, but prevention of decimation depended on T cell-intrinsic Bcl6 and Tfh progeny formation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Drishya Kurup, Christoph Wirblich, Rachael Lambert, Leila Zabihi Diba, Benjamin E. Leiby, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: The study showed that a measles vaccine expressing both ZIKV-E and -NS1 provided complete clearance of the virus and full protection for fetuses in a lethal Zika challenge model. NS1 antibodies were found to enhance the protective effects of ZIKV-E antibodies in the female reproductive tract.
Article
Immunology
Catherine Yankowski, Christoph Wirblich, Drishya Kurup, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: The objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the recombinant rabies virus-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, CORAVAX, as a COVID-19 vaccine strategy. The study found that CORAVAX is immunogenic and protective against SARS-CoV-2, and it addresses the issue of waning immunity seen in other COVID-19 vaccines. By selecting the right adjuvants and tackling pre-existing rabies-vector immunity, CORAVAX has shown long-term potential as a COVID-19 vaccine.
Article
Neurosciences
Jingheng Zhou, Jicheng Li, Amy B. Papaneri, Guohong Cui
Summary: We have developed an improved version of the Dopamine Neuron Challenge Test (DNC Test) for early detection of Parkinson's disease (PD) in mouse models. The original test used haloperidol as a challenging agent, but it caused motor side effects. In the improved test, we replaced haloperidol with a dopamine autoreceptor preferring antagonist AJ76 or UH232, achieving the same sensitivity and selectivity without motor side effects. These findings enhance the practicality of using the DNC Test for early-stage PD screening or diagnosis in humans.
Article
Immunology
Catherine Yankowski, Drishya Kurup, Christoph Wirblich, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: Ebola virus is a major cause of severe hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate. An Ebola virus glycoprotein expressing inactivated bivalent filovirus/rabies virus vaccine called FILORAB1 has shown immunogenicity and protection against Ebola virus in mice and non-human primates, especially when formulated with toll-like receptor 4 agonist GLA and squalene oil-in-water emulsion. The immune response to FILORAB1 is long-lasting and characterized by maintained serum antibody titers and long-lived cells in the spleen and bone marrow.
Article
Immunology
Gabrielle Scher, Dennis A. Bente, Megan C. Mears, Maria N. B. Cajimat, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne virus that causes severe hemorrhagic disease in humans. Recent research has shown that a monoclonal antibody against the GP38 glycoprotein can protect mice from lethal CCHFV infection. In this study, three inactivated rhabdoviral-based CCHFV-M vaccines were tested, and only the vaccines containing GP38 provided protection against CCHFV challenge in mice.
Article
Immunology
Drishya Kurup, Christine R. Fisher, Gabrielle Scher, Catherine Yankowski, AnnaMarie Testa, Rohan Keshwara, Tiago Abreu-Mota, Rachael Lambert, Melissa Ferguson, William Rinaldi, Leonard Ruiz, Christoph Wirblich, Matthias J. Schnell
Summary: The study evaluated the immunogenicity of adjuvanted monovalent rabies virus-based vaccine candidates against filoviruses and Lassa virus in nonhuman primates. Results showed strong and lasting immune responses up to 365 days, with no significant differences between single vaccines and trivalent or tetravalent vaccines. The study demonstrates the potential of a pentavalent vaccine platform against multiple viruses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)