U.S. Scientists Successfully Test Ebola Vaccine On Mice

Scientists at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases have successfully immunized mice against the highly infectious Ebola disease, which has been viewed as a potential biological weapon, BBC News reported today (see GSN, Nov. 19).

The vaccine used in the study was made from virus-like particles (VLPs), which resemble the outer covering of the Ebola virus and can trigger a human immune system response, but lack the genetic material needed for reproduction, according to BBC News. Mice were vaccinated with the VLPs at three-week intervals and then exposed to Ebola six weeks after the last inoculation, with a result of full protection against the disease

Scientists are now expected to begin testing the vaccine on primates (BBC News, Dec. 10).

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