Q&A: Anthony Fauci Describes an Experimental Ebola Treatment

The monoclonal antibody, known as mAb114, is likely to be used in the current Ebola outbreak in DRC.

Written byShawna Williams

| 3 min read

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Update (August 14): Reuters reports that patients with Ebola are now being treated in DRC with mAb114.

More than a decade after an 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo, researchers found a survivor who still harbored antibodies against the virus. One of those antibodies, mAb114, has since been developed as a drug by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), together with the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Although the drug is still in a Phase 1 clinical trial, Reuters reports that DRC officials are prepared to use it to treat patients in the current Ebola outbreak in that country.

The Scientist spoke with NIAID Director Anthony Fauci to learn more about mAb114.

The Scientist: How does mAb114 work?

Anthony Fauci: This is an antibody that is derived from a person who was infected with ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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