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Published on: August 1, 2013
Vaccines for viral hemorrhagic fevers--progress and shortcomings
Darryl Falzarano1, Heinz Feldmann
1Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, MT, USA.
Current Opinion in Virology
|June 19, 2013
Summary
Developing effective vaccines for hemorrhagic fever viruses remains challenging due to limited investment, despite advancements in vaccine technology. Progress is noted for Dengue virus (DENV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) vaccines.
Area of Science:
- Virology and Vaccinology
- Infectious Disease Research
Background:
- Vaccines for many hemorrhagic fever viruses are unavailable or lack proven efficacy.
- Development is hindered not by technological limitations, but by a lack of investment in vaccine platforms.
- Existing vaccine platforms show potential for creating successful vaccines against highly pathogenic viruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the challenges and progress in developing vaccines for hemorrhagic fever viruses.
- To identify factors limiting vaccine development, particularly financial interest and defined protection correlates.
Main Methods:
- Review of current vaccine development status for hemorrhagic fever viruses.
- Analysis of investment trends and scientific interest in vaccine platforms.
- Examination of progress in vaccine candidates for Dengue virus (DENV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), filoviruses, and Lassa virus (LASV).
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made in developing vaccines for Dengue virus (DENV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV).
- Experimental vaccines exist for filoviruses and Lassa virus (LASV), but their advancement is impeded.
- Key barriers include insufficient financial investment and poorly defined correlates of protection for clinical trials.
Conclusions:
- Overcoming the lack of financial interest is crucial for advancing vaccines against filoviruses and Lassa virus (LASV).
- Further research is needed to define clear correlates of protection to facilitate clinical assessment of these vaccines.
- Continued investment in vaccine platforms is essential for global health security against hemorrhagic fever viruses.
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