Researchers are pushing ahead with the first human trials of an ebola vaccine. Typical vaccines spark an antibody response against a threat. But with the lethal ebola, a successful vaccine has to produce T-cells to make the immune system powerful enough vanquish the virus. And a vaccine is badly needed. A successful ebola vaccine would give health workers immunity as they fight against any outbreak, which is becoming increasingly likely.
"We are seeing more and more naturally-occurring human outbreaks of this deadly disease. With worldwide air travel and tourism, the virus can now be transported to and from remote regions of the world. And it has huge potential as a possible weapon of bioterrorism. We desperately need a protective vaccine," says Dr. Anthony Sanchez, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- read the article in the Washington Post