Correction
Medicine, General & Internal
P. Mbala-Kingebeni
Summary: This article highlights that a misspelled surname of one of the authors has affected the content about Ebola virus transmission.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Olivier Tshiani Mbaya, Philippe Mukumbayi, Sabue Mulangu
Summary: The unprecedented West Africa Ebola outbreak from 2013-2016 accelerated the development of medical countermeasures against Ebola virus disease. In the recent second-largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two IPs, REGN-EB3 and mAb114, showed efficacy compared to the control arm ZMapp in an RCT. The FDA approved both medications, marking a significant advancement in EVD therapy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Steven B. Bradfute
Summary: Ebola virus (EBOV) belongs to the filoviridae family and can cause severe disease and high lethality rates. A mouse-adapted EBOV (maEBOV) model has been developed, which has significant advantages in terms of cost, availability of reagents, and genetically modified strains. The model has been widely used in studying vaccines, therapeutic drugs, EBOV mutants, and pathogenesis, and has received numerous citations. This review will discuss the history and use of the maEBOV model in filovirus research.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Guangyi Gao, Byron J. Gajewski, Jo Wick, Jonathan Beall, Jeffrey L. Saver, Caitlyn Meinzer
Summary: Platform trials based on Bayesian designs can effectively investigate multiple treatment arms on heterogeneous patient populations. The proposed approach using hierarchical modeling, response-adaptive randomization, and adjustment for potential drift over time achieved high statistical power, good patient benefit, and robustness against population drift over time. This design strikes a balance between traditional RAR scheme and fixed allocation, making it a promising choice for dichotomous outcomes trials investigating multiple subgroups.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yingyun Cai, Shuiqing Yu, Xiaoli Chi, Sheli R. Radoshitzky, Jens H. Kuhn, Edward A. Berger
Summary: The immunotoxin 6D8-PE38 specifically targets Ebola virus-infected cells and effectively inhibits viral production, showing promise as a potential antiviral intervention for Ebola virus disease.
Article
Immunology
Ian Crozier, Kyla A. Britson, Daniel N. Wolfe, John D. Klena, Lisa E. Hensley, John S. Lee, Larry A. Wolfraim, Kimberly L. Taylor, Elizabeth S. Higgs, Joel M. Montgomery, Karen A. Martins
Summary: The Ebola virus disease outbreak in Western Africa from 2013-2016 led to unprecedented efforts by the United States government to develop effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. These efforts resulted in regulatory approval of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapeutics for Ebola virus disease, and improved the speed of diagnosis and mobilization of public health resources. Lessons learned from this experience can enhance future efforts against other filoviruses.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Oghenekome Gbinigie, Emma Ogburn, Julie Allen, Jienchi Dorward, Melissa Dobson, Tracie-Ann Madden, Ly-Mee Yu, David M. Lowe, Najib Rahman, Stavros Petrou, Duncan Richards, Kerenza Hood, Mahendra Patel, Benjamin R. Saville, Joe Marion, Jane Holmes, May Ee Png, Gail Hayward, Mark Lown, Victoria Harris, Bhautesh Jani, Nigel Hart, Saye Khoo, Heather Rutter, Jem Chalk, Joseph F. Standing, Judith Breuer, Layla Lavallee, Elizabeth Hadley, Lucy Cureton, Magdalena Benysek, Monique Andersson, Nick Francis, Nicholas P. B. Thomas, Philip Evans, Oliver van Hecke, Mona Koshkouei, Maria Coates, Sarah Barrett, Clare Bateman, Jennifer Davies, Ivy Raymundo-Wood, Andrew Ustianowski, Jonathan Nguyen-Van-Tam, Andrew Carson-Stevens, Richard Hobbs, Paul Little, Christopher C. Butler
Summary: This study is a clinical trial that aims to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of novel antiviral treatments for COVID-19 in vaccinated patients at increased risk in the community. It is an open-label, prospective, adaptive, multiarm platform trial that allows for the addition of new treatments and the evaluation of existing interventions. The study also includes a prospective economic evaluation.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Chiranjib Chakraborty
Summary: Ebola virus disease is a deadly pathogenic disease caused by the Ebola virus, with scientists focusing on various therapeutic developments. Two monoclonal antibodies have shown efficacy in clinical trials and received approval, but there is a need for further development of more cost-effective therapies.
CURRENT OPINION IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Virology
Ching-Hsuan Liu, Yee-Tung Hu, Shu Hui Wong, Liang-Tzung Lin
Summary: Since the 2014-2016 epidemic, Ebola virus has become a major threat to global health. Despite the approval of several anti-Ebola vaccines and therapeutics, the high fatality rate highlights the need for continuous development of antiviral strategies.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mosoka Fallah, Stephen Lavalah, Tina Gbelia, Myers Zondo, Morris Kromah, Lucy Tantum, Gartee Nallo, Joseph Boakai, Kemoh Sheriff, Laura Skrip, S. Harris Ali
Summary: Based on research conducted in Liberia, we found that individuals traveled during the Ebola outbreak for various reasons, such as avoiding stigmatization, fear of the disease, and attending burial rites. Improvements in infectious disease response could be made through personalizing public health messaging, activating community surveillance systems, and involving local leaders and community members.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Arthur Viode, Kinga K. Smolen, Benoit Fatou, Zainab Wurie, Patrick Van Zalm, Mandy Kader Konde, Balla Moussa Keita, Richard Amento Ablam, Eleanor N. Fish, Hanno Steen
Summary: In this study, the plasma proteomes of 12 individuals infected with Ebola virus (EBV) were characterized using two different LC-MS-based proteomics platforms and an antibody-based multiplexed cytokine/chemokine assay. Clear differences were observed in the host proteome between individuals who survived and those who died, at both early and late stages of the disease. A prognostic biomarker panel of 4 proteins was derived from the analysis, which may help guide care and can be easily implemented in resource-limited regions.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Edward Man-Lik Choi, Boris Lacarra, Muhammed Afolabi, Boni Maxime Ale, Frank Baiden, Christine Betard, Julie Foster, Benjamin Hamze, Christine Schwimmer, Daniela Manno, Eric D'Ortenzio, David Ishola, Cheick Mohamed Keita, Babajide Keshinro, Yusupha Njie, Wim van Dijck, Auguste Gaddah, Dickson Anumendem, Brett Lowe, Renaud Vatrinet, Bolarinde Joseph Lawal, Godfrey Otieno, Mohamed Samai, Gibrilla Fadlu Deen, Ibrahim Bob Swaray, Abu Bakarr Kamara, Michael Morlai Kamara, Mame Aminata Diagne, Dickens Kowuor, Chelsea McLean, Bailah Leigh, Abdoul Habib Beavogui, Maarten Leyssen, Kerstin Luhn, Cynthia Robinson, Macaya Douoguih, Brian Greenwood, Rodolphe Thiebaut, Deborah Watson-Jones
Summary: This study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola virus vaccine regimen in infants aged 4-11 months in Guinea and Sierra Leone. The results showed that the vaccine was well tolerated and induced strong humoral responses in infants younger than 1 year, with no safety concerns related to vaccination.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Zacchaeus Anywaine, Houreratou Barry, Omu Anzala, Gaudensia Mutua, Sodiomon B. Sirima, Serge Eholie, Hannah Kibuuka, Christine Betard, Laura Richert, Christine Lacabaratz, M. Juliana McElrath, Stephen C. De Rosa, Kristen W. Cohen, Georgi Shukarev, Michael Katwere, Cynthia Robinson, Auguste Gaddah, Dirk Heerwegh, Viki Bockstal, Kerstin Luhn, Maarten Leyssen, Rodolphe Thiebaut, Macaya Douoguih
Summary: This study assessed the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the heterologous 2-dose Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo vaccination regimen in African adolescents and children. The results showed that the vaccination regimen was well tolerated with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. All vaccinees produced antibodies against the Ebola virus, with higher immune responses observed in the group with a 56-day interval between doses.
Article
Immunology
Carlee B. Moser, Kara W. Chew, Justin Ritz, Matthew Newell, Arzhang Cyrus Javan, Joseph J. Eron, Eric S. Daar, David A. Wohl, Judith S. Currier, Davey M. Smith, Michael D. Hughes
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adaptive platform trials were used to quickly assess therapeutics, such as the ACTIV-2 trial, which evaluated 7 investigational agents with different administration routes. The trial compared safety and efficacy outcomes of each agent to a pooled placebo control group. The implementation of a pooled placebo design resulted in a 6% reduction in sample size compared to a trial with separate placebo control groups, and a 26% reduction during the phase 2 evaluation of multiple agents. This study discusses the complexities and provides insights for the design of future platform trials.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Sumira Malik, Shristi Kishore, Sagnik Nag, Archna Dhasmana, Subham Preetam, Oishi Mitra, Darwin A. Leon-Figueroa, Aroop Mohanty, Vijay Kumar Chattu, Marjan Assefi, Bijaya K. Padhi, Ranjit Sah
Summary: The global outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Sudan, Uganda, and Western Africa highlight the limitations of pre-designed vaccines for battling EVD, emphasizing the urgent need for a systematic protocol to produce Ebola vaccines prior to outbreaks. Various vaccines, including virus-like particle-based vaccines and DNA-based vaccines, are currently being developed through preclinical and human-based clinical trials. The challenges in developing Ebola vaccines include selecting immunogenic, rapid-responsive, and cross-protective vaccines that provide prolonged protection. Manufacturing and distribution of vaccines also require post authorization, licensing, and surveillance to ensure efficacy against Ebola outbreaks.
Article
Ecology
Matthew S. Kelly, Catherine Plunkett, Yahe Yu, Jhoanna N. Aquino, Sweta M. Patel, Jillian H. Hurst, Rebecca R. Young, Marek Smieja, Andrew P. Steenhoff, Tonya Arscott-Mills, Kristen A. Feemster, Sefelani Boiditswe, Tirayaone Leburu, Tiny Mazhani, Mohamed Z. Patel, John F. Rawls, Jayanth Jawahar, Samir S. Shah, Christopher R. Polage, Coleen K. Cunningham, Patrick C. Seed
Summary: This study conducted in sub-Saharan Africa examined the nasopharyngeal microbiome of 179 mother-infant dyads to investigate the relationship between Corynebacterium abundance and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in infants. Results showed a negative correlation between Corynebacterium abundance and S. pneumoniae colonization, with in vitro experiments demonstrating growth inhibition of S. pneumoniae by secreted factors from Corynebacterium strains isolated from infants. Additionally, antibiotic exposure and seasonal variations were associated with changes in Corynebacterium abundance, suggesting potential implications for preventing pneumococcal infections.
Article
Immunology
Amanda Lucier, Youyi Fong, Shuk Hang Li, Maria Dennis, Joshua Eudailey, Ashley Nelson, Kevin Saunders, Coleen K. Cunningham, Elizabeth McFarland, Ross McKinney, M. Anthony Moody, Celia LaBranche, David Montefiori, Sallie R. Permar, Genevieve G. Fouda
Summary: Recent studies have shown that children infected with HIV may develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) earlier compared to adults. This study found that children as young as 1 year old demonstrated neutralization breadth comparable to adults, and 2-3 year olds exhibited even greater neutralization breadth. It also found that there was no significant difference in antibody specificities between children and adults. These findings suggest that initiating HIV immunization early in life may lead to the development of broadly neutralizing antibody responses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Christina Yau, Marie Osdoit, Marieke van der Noordaa, Sonal Shad, Jane Wei, Diane de Croze, Anne-Sophie Harny, Marick Lae, Fabien Reyal, Gabes S. Sonke, Tessa G. Steenbruggen, Maartje van Seijen, Jelle Wesseling, Miguel Martin, Maria del Monte-Millan, Sara Lopez-Tarruella, Judy C. Boughey, Matthew P. Goetz, Tanya Hoskin, Rebekah Gould, Vicente Valero, Stephen B. Edge, Jean E. Abraham, John M. S. Bartlett, Carlos Caldas, Janet Dunn, Helena Earl, Larry Hayward, Louise Hiller, Elena Provenzano, Stephen-John Sammut, Jeremy S. Thomas, David Cameron, Ashley Graham, Peter Hail, Lorna Mackintosh, Fang Fan, Andrew K. Godwin, Kelsey Schwensen, Priyanko Sharma, Angela M. DeMichele, Kimberly Cole, Lajos Pusztai, Mi-Ok Kim, Laura J. van't Veer, Laura J. Esserman, W. Fraser Symmans
Summary: This study analyzed data from multiple independent cohorts to evaluate the relationship between residual cancer burden (RCB) and long-term prognosis in different subtypes of breast cancer. The results showed that higher RCB score was significantly associated with worse event-free survival in all breast cancer subtypes. The study suggests considering the evaluation of RCB as part of standard pathology reporting.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sweta M. Patel, Yazdani B. Shaik-Dasthagirisaheb, Morgan Congdon, Rebecca R. Young, Mohamed Z. Patel, Tiny Mazhani, Sefelani Boiditswe, Tirayaone Leburu, Kwana Lechiile, Tonya Arscott-Mills, Andrew P. Steenhoff, Kristen A. Feemster, Samir S. Shah, Coleen K. Cunningham, Stephen I. Pelton, Matthew S. Kelly
Summary: The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines has reduced invasive pneumococcal disease burden, but the effectiveness of these vaccines can be reduced by an increase in non-vaccine serotype diseases.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Dorothy E. Dow, Karen E. O'Donnell, Laura Mkumba, John A. Gallis, Elizabeth L. Turner, Judith Boshe, Aisa M. Shayo, Coleen K. Cunningham, Blandina T. Mmbaga
Summary: Sauti ya Vijana is a mental health and life skills intervention for young people living with HIV in Tanzania. The pilot trial suggests that this intervention holds promise in improving antiretroviral therapy adherence and virologic suppression in young people, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kalei R. J. Hosaka, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Aisa M. Shayo, John A. Gallis, Elizabeth L. Turner, Karen E. O'Donnell, Coleen K. Cunningham, Judith Boshe, Dorothy E. Dow
Summary: This study demonstrates that mental wellbeing may be an important pathway to improved HIV outcomes for youth living with HIV. The results support further fully powered trials to further validate the effectiveness of this intervention.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sulaiman Lakoh, Anna Maruta, Christiana Kallon, Gibrilla F. Deen, James B. W. Russell, Bobson Derrick Fofanah, Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara, Joseph Sam Kanu, Dauda Kamara, Bailah Molleh, Olukemi Adekanmbi, Simon Tavernor, Jamie Guth, Karuna D. Sagili, Ewan Wilkinson
Summary: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have a significant impact on hospitals, and improving hand hygiene is essential for reducing their spread. In a study conducted in public health hospitals in Sierra Leone, the overall hand hygiene level was intermediate, with room for improvement. Secondary hospitals performed better in hand hygiene practices and promotion compared to tertiary hospitals, which had issues with reminders and institutional safety.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Coleen K. Cunningham, Ruth A. Karron, Petronella Muresan, Matthew S. Kelly, Elizabeth J. McFarland, Charlotte Perlowski, Jennifer Libous, Jennifer Oliva, Patrick Jean-Philippe, Jack Moye, Elizabeth Schappell, Emily Barr, Vivian Rexroad, Benjamin Johnston, Ellen G. Chadwick, Mikhaela Cielo, Mary Paul, Jaime G. Deville, Mariam Aziz, Lijuan Yang, Cindy Luongo, Peter L. Collins, Ursula J. Buchholz
Summary: Two promising live-attenuated RSV candidate vaccines were evaluated in healthy children and found to be immunogenic and capable of eliciting strong immune responses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Correction
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Pepa Bruce, Kate Ainscough, Lee Hatter, Irene Braithwaite, Lindsay R. Berry, Mark Fitzgerald, Thomas Hills, Kathy Brickell, David Cosgrave, Alex Semprini, Susan Morpeth, Scott Berry, Peter Doran, Paul Young, Richard Beasley, Alistair Nichol
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Pepa Bruce Metadata, Kate Ainscough, Lee Hatter, Irene Braithwaite, Lindsay R. Berry, Mark Fitzgerald, Thomas Hills, Kathy Brickell, David Cosgrave, Alex Semprini, Susan Morpeth, Scott Berry, Peter Doran, Paul Young, Richard Beasley, Alistair Nichol
Summary: This article presents a practical model using Bayesian methods for rapid determination of the effectiveness of prophylactic agents in preventing COVID-19, but recruitment for the actual study did not start due to reduced COVID-19 cases in New Zealand and concerns about the efficacy and risks of HCQ treatment. The model can be easily adapted for other potential prophylactic agents and pathogens, and should be shared and incorporated into future pandemic preparedness planning.
Article
Immunology
Emilie A. Uffman, Shuk Hang Li, Jui-Lin Chen, Noel Allen, Sefelani Boiditswe, Genevieve G. Fouda, Jillian H. Hurst, Mohamed Z. Patel, Andrew P. Steenhoff, Coleen K. Cunningham, Emily Qin, Clemontina A. Davenport, Matthew S. Kelly
Summary: HIV-exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants had lower antibody concentrations to certain pneumococcal serotypes at birth compared to HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU) infants. However, both HEU and HUU infants developed protective antibody responses to PCV-13 vaccination. Antibody concentrations declined significantly over time for many pneumococcal serotypes.
Article
Immunology
Caitlin M. Dugdale, Ogochukwu Ufio, Christopher Alba, Sallie R. Permar, Lynda Stranix-Chibanda, Coleen K. Cunningham, Genevieve G. Fouda, Landon Myer, Milton C. Weinstein, Valeriane Leroy, Elizabeth J. McFarland, Kenneth A. Freedberg, Andrea L. Ciaranello
Summary: Infant HIV prophylaxis with broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies (bNAbs) could be a cost-effective intervention to reduce vertical HIV transmission in sub-Saharan African settings, according to a cost-effectiveness analysis. The study estimated the potential clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of hypothetical bNAb prophylaxis programs for HIV-exposed children in Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Zimbabwe and found that bNAb prophylaxis would significantly reduce infant HIV incidence.
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Olivia Farrant, Mamadu Baldeh, Joseph Baio Kamara, Emma Bailey, Stephen Sevalie, Gibrilla Deen, James Baligeh Walter Russell, Daniel Youkee, Andy J. M. Leather, Justine Davies, Sulaiman Lakoh
Summary: This study aims to study the mortality of patients with COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, explore the factors associated with mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlight the complexities of treating patients with a novel epidemic disease in a fragile health system. The study found that the in-hospital mortality rate of COVID-19 patients in Sierra Leone was 41.3%, compared to the pre-pandemic rate of 23.8%. Factors contributing to the higher mortality were COVID-19 infection and hypertension.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
James Baligeh Walter Russell, Theresa Ruba Koroma, Santigie Sesay, Sallieu Kabay Samura, Sulaiman Lakoh, Ansumana Bockarie, Onome Thomas Abir, Joseph Sam Kanu, Joshua Coker, Abdul Jalloh, Victor Conteh, Sorie Conteh, Mohamed Smith, Othman Z. Mahdi, Durodami R. Lisk
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), target organ damage (TOD) and its associated factors among adults in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The study found high prevalence of CMRFs such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, as well as target organ damage including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The findings highlight the need for interventions to improve cardiometabolic health screening and management in Sierra Leonean population.
Meeting Abstract
Immunology
C. Alba, S. Malhotra, S. Horsfall, M. Barnhart, K. Chapman, C. K. Cunningham, P. Fast, G. G. Fouda, K. A. Freedberg, L. Ghazaryan, V. Leroy, C. Mann, M. M. McCluskey, E. J. McFarland, V. Muturi-Kioi, S. R. Permar, D. Sok, L. Stranix-Chibanda, M. C. Weinstein, A. L. Ciaranello, C. M. Dugdale
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY
(2022)