Filovirus Vaccine Development and the Role of Cathepsins in Ebola Virus Replication

Date/Time: 21 September 2011, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Speaker: Andrea Marzi, Ph.D.
Speaker Affiliation: Visiting Fellow, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana
Venue: John A. Burns School of Medicine, Kaka’ako, MEB Auditorium (Room 315)

For more info: Cori Watanabe (808) 692-1654
Description: Ebola and Marburg viruses cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans in central Africa and have been introduced into Europe and North America by global travelers. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or treatment to treat or prevent the hemorrhagic fever caused by these viruses. Although major efforts have been made to develop vaccine platforms. We are employing a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based vaccine expressing either the Ebola or Marburg virus glycoprotein as an immunogen instead of the native VSV glycoprotein. The goal is to develop a single shot vaccine that is protective against several species of Ebola virus. Another focus is on the role of cellular proteases during the viral entry process, in particular the influence of cathepsins during Ebola virus infection. In vitro and in vivo data with replicating Ebola virus demonstrate that while cathepsins contribute to infection, they are not essential.