Antibody Therapy as a Future Treatment Option for Ebola Virus Infection

Abstract

Ebola virus causes lethal hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. Effective prophylaxis and treatment for this disease are not yet available. Antisera and monoclonal antibodies specific to Ebola virus proteins have been tested for passive immunization in experimental animal models and clinical cases, and shown to be effective in mice and guinea pigs, whereas the evidence of protective efficacy in primates, including humans, remains elusive. In this review, we focus on research relevant to prophylaxis and treatment by passive immunization, and discuss the potential use of antibody therapy for Ebola virus infection. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that a comprehensive understanding of Ebola virus pathogenesis will aid in the development of therapeutic strategies against Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Keywords: :

• antibody therapy
• Ebola virus
• monoclonal antibody
• passive immunization

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported, in part, by the Program of Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan.

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. We thank Kim Barrymore for editing the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported, in part, by the Program of Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan.