U.S. scientists said that the first human trial experimental vaccine against Ebola proved to be safe as it yielded "promising" results. In the test that was conducted by National Institutes of Health in Maryland, 20 healthy adults were immunized.
CNN reported that the volunteers, aged 18 to 50, were grouped into two — one received a lower dose of the vaccine while the other was given a higher dose. As per BBC, all of these participants "produced an immune response and developed anti-Ebola antibodies." In turn, the volunteers produced these anti-bodies in accord to the amount given to them.
Furthermore, seven of those who received the higher dose and two from the low dose group spawned T-cell immune responses, which can strengthen the resistance against the deadly virus. No severe side-effects have surged but CNN reports that two of the people from the high dose group suffered brief episodes of fever on the same day.
"On safety and on the ability to produce an appropriate immune response we can call this trial an unqualified success, even though it was an early Phase One trial," Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told BBC.
Researchers made use of a chimpanzee cold virus to concoct the vaccine. BBC explains that it "has been genetically engineered to carry a non-infectious Ebola protein on its surface."
BBC reports that the current bivalent U.S. vaccine is being pushed for the fortification against Ebola in the Sudan region as well as Zaire, which is known to be the source of the existing Ebola epidemic. Tests are also ongoing in Oxford, Mali and Switzerland for the "monovalent vaccine" that is focused on Zaire. If these trials produce successful results, the latter will be put forward to health workers in West Africa.
"It will be this large Phase Two/Three trial in west Africa which will show whether the vaccine works and is really safe," Fauci said. "If the outbreak is still is still going on six months from now and the vaccine at that point is shown to be effective, it could have a very positive impact on the current epidemic."
