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University of Guelph researchers have shown that an innovative antibody delivery method could offer an effective way to prevent and treat Ebola infection. An antibody-based therapy can protect against all strains of Ebola, and Marburg virus,” says Prof. Sarah Wootton, Department of Pathobiology, who, along with PhD student Laura van Lieshout, found a new way to fight Ebola.
Monoclonal antibody therapies (mAbs) hold promise for the treatment of Ebola virus infections. The approach delivers a monoclonal antibody gene through a viral vector, something that has been done before with human immunodeficiency virus. The process bypasses the need for the host to generate a natural immune response, which can take several weeks to occur, and often too late for Ebola victims.
Using adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver antibodies will be effective at keeping Ebola virus infection at bay in mice. Using AAV gene therapy vector to deliver the DNA blueprint to a cell will produce a protective antibody against Ebola virus, which is then secreted into the bloodstream and protects mice from infection.
The approach provided complete protection against Ebola infection in mice using two different types of mAb, and 83-per-cent protection with a third. A “cocktail” of two antibodies provided sustained protection against Ebola for up to five months. Once the antibody gene is delivered, it will be continually produced in the bloodstream.
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