The Ebola virus glycoprotein spike (white) bound by antibody fragments of the broadly neutralizing antibodies ADI-15878 (purple), ADI-15946 (blue), and ADI-16061 (green). Footprints of these antibodies identify the key sites of Ebola vulnerability to human antibodies.COURTESY C. DANIEL MURIN, PHDIt was only a year ago when the West African Ebola public health emergency ended, yet another small cluster of infections has popped up in central Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An experimental vaccine is at the ready if needed, and numerous others are in the pipeline, along with new therapies.
In developing these vaccines and therapies, researchers have looked to survivors of Ebola infection for clues as to how they might put a stop to the virus. Today (May 18) in Cell, Kartik Chandran of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and collaborators described antibodies retrieved from a patient that could shut down not only the Zaire strain that circulated during the West African outbreak, but four others as well. The Scientist spoke with Chandran about his study.
Kartik Chandran ALBERT EINSTEIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINEThe Scientist: What has been accomplished previously in looking for antibodies against Ebola?
Kartik Chandran: What was done before was to isolate these antibodies from B cells from this person’s blood and then the antibodies were ...
