Vaccination Strategies to Provide Protection Against the Ebola Virus

This invention describes a method for vaccination against Ebola virus. Outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever caused by the Ebola virus, particularly the Zaire subtype, are associated with high mortality rates. The virus is very contagious, and during an outbreak, presents a threat to anybody who comes into contact with an infected person. Because the virus progresses so rapidly and the mortality rate is so high, there is little opportunity to develop natural immunity, making vaccination a promising intervention. This invention relates to a vaccine strategy employing DNA and adenoviral vectors expressing proteins associated with the Ebola virus. This vaccine strategy, a DNA prime with an adenoviral boost, elicits a protective immune response in primates. A vaccine was designed to optimize expression by incorporating genes for two subtypes of the glycoprotein (Zaire and Sudan) and minimizes toxicity by eliminating the trans-membrane region. The specific genes identified may be used for gene-based or protein-based vaccines that will prevent Ebola infection.