Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particle vaccine protects nonhuman primates from intramuscular and aerosol challenge with ebolavirus

AS Herbert, AI Kuehne, JF Barth, RA Ortiz… - Journal of …, 2013 - Am Soc Microbiol
AS Herbert, AI Kuehne, JF Barth, RA Ortiz, DK Nichols, SE Zak, SW Stonier, MA Muhammad…
Journal of virology, 2013Am Soc Microbiol
There are no vaccines or therapeutics currently approved for the prevention or treatment of
ebolavirus infection. Previously, a replicon vaccine based on Venezuelan equine
encephalitis virus (VEEV) demonstrated protective efficacy against Marburg virus in
nonhuman primates. Here, we report the protective efficacy of Sudan virus (SUDV)-and
Ebola virus (EBOV)-specific VEEV replicon particle (VRP) vaccines in nonhuman primates.
VRP vaccines were developed to express the glycoprotein (GP) of either SUDV or EBOV. A …
Abstract
There are no vaccines or therapeutics currently approved for the prevention or treatment of ebolavirus infection. Previously, a replicon vaccine based on Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) demonstrated protective efficacy against Marburg virus in nonhuman primates. Here, we report the protective efficacy of Sudan virus (SUDV)- and Ebola virus (EBOV)-specific VEEV replicon particle (VRP) vaccines in nonhuman primates. VRP vaccines were developed to express the glycoprotein (GP) of either SUDV or EBOV. A single intramuscular vaccination of cynomolgus macaques with VRP expressing SUDV GP provided complete protection against intramuscular challenge with SUDV. Vaccination against SUDV and subsequent survival of SUDV challenge did not fully protect cynomolgus macaques against intramuscular EBOV back-challenge. However, a single simultaneous intramuscular vaccination with VRP expressing SUDV GP combined with VRP expressing EBOV GP did provide complete protection against intramuscular challenge with either SUDV or EBOV in cynomolgus macaques. Finally, intramuscular vaccination with VRP expressing SUDV GP completely protected cynomolgus macaques when challenged with aerosolized SUDV, although complete protection against aerosol challenge required two vaccinations with this vaccine.
American Society for Microbiology