Progress towards the treatment of Ebola haemorrhagic fever

Abstract

Being highly pathogenic for human and nonhuman primates and the subject of former weapon programmes makes Ebola virus one of the most feared pathogens worldwide today. Due to a lack of licensed pre- and postexposure intervention, the current response depends on rapid diagnostics, proper isolation procedures and supportive care of case patients. Consequently, the development of more specific countermeasures is of high priority for the preparedness of many nations. Over the past years, enhanced research efforts directed to better understand virus replication and pathogenesis have identified potential new targets for intervention strategies. The authors discuss the most promising therapeutic approaches for Ebola haemorrhagic fever as judged by their efficacy in animal models. The current development in this field encourages discussions on how to move some of the experimental approaches towards clinical application.

Keywords::

• animal model
• anticoagulant
• Ebola virus
• haemorrhagic fever
• inhibitors of replication
• pathogenesis
• postexposure vaccination
• therapeutic antibodies

Acknowledgements

Work on filoviruses at the National Microbiology Laboratory was supported over the years by funding received from Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the CRBN Research and Technology Initiative and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The authors thank many colleagues in the field for helpful discussions.

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