Marburg Virus Disease - Infectious Disease

Introduction to Marburg Virus Disease

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a viral hemorrhagic fever of high morbidity caused by the Marburg virus (MARV) which belongs to the filovirus family, relatives of the Ebola virus. MVD was first described during two sets of concurrent outbreaks in Germany and Serbia in 1967. Since then, it has been MVD has been associated with numerous outbreaks in Africa. MVD has a case fatality rate of as high as 88%. It is a zoonotic disease, and fruit bats, particularly Rousettus aegyptiacus, are considered the primary reservoir. Humans acquire the virus through contact with infected animals or non-airborne infectious body fluids.

Schematic diagram of the pathophysiological analysis of Marburg virus (MARV) infection.

Fig.1 Pathophysiology of Marburg virus (MARV) infection. (Chakraborty S., et al., 2022)

Vaccine Development for Marburg Virus Disease

Recombinant Vector Vaccines

The use of such Recombinant vector vaccines has shown efficiency in preclinical studies. Such vaccines are constructed using an inoffensive virus or a bacterium which carries a portion of the MARV genome allowing the infected host cells to mount an immune response without causing the disease process. For instance, the rVSV vaccine has exhibited total protective measures when administered postexposure in non-human primate models.

DNA and RNA Vaccines

Asynchronous vaccine approaches such as DNA or RNA vaccines are new in the sense that the genetic material coding for the MARV antigens is placed right in the host cells. Such a technology makes these vaccines easier to develop and enables broader immune responses. As an example, the Marburg glycoprotein DNA vaccine has been developed and clinical trials for safety and immunogenicity tests are in progress.

Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Vaccines

VLP Vaccines are Virus Like Particles Vaccines that activate an immune response while using only fragments of the intact viral structure. There has been research on the development of VLPs aimed at the Marburg virus (MARV) and it has focused on the glycoprotein on the surface of the virus that is crucial for binding to and penetrating the host cells. These virus-like particles have been immunized and are tested for the effectiveness in production of neutralizing antibodies at the tested preclinical stages.

Therapeutics Development for Marburg Virus Disease

Antiviral Therapies: Small molecule antiviral medications, such as Remdesivir, are recognized for their low selectivity to viral enzymes and even for the pathways important in a virus's self copying processes. Alternative antiviral therapies work when the target is REMV. Studies are being conducted on the efficacy of the drug on animal models though.
Monoclonal Antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies exploit the ability of viruses to bind with specific proteins preventing the entry of the virus into the host cell. mAbs that target glycoprotein reverse transcription of MARV are being sought for evaluation. These mAbs are extremely potent in neutralizing the virus.
Immune Modulators: MVD is a treatable disease, but the use of immunity altering therapies is also being explored. Such therapies which include marburg virus and other target researched therapies Interferons, other cytokines, are used for MVD's proven therapies.

Our Services

We offer a comprehensive set of services ranging from the development of MVD vaccines and therapeutics to their advancements. We focus on:

Vaccine Design and Development: Engineering effective and safe vaccines using state-of-the-art technologies.

Antiviral Drug Discovery: Discovery and optimization of small molecule drugs with potent antiviral activity.

Immunotherapy Strategies: Development of drugs and therapies for MVD that manipulate the immune system.

Our preclinical research services are designed to provide robust data supporting vaccine and therapeutic development. We utilize state-of-the-art facilities and techniques to conduct comprehensive studies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.

References

Chakraborty, Sandip, et al. "Marburg virus disease-a mini-review." (2022): 689-696.
Asad, Ameema, et al. "Past and current advances in Marburg virus disease: a review." Infez Med 28.3 (2020): 332-345.
Manno, Daniela. "Developing a vaccine against Marburg virus disease." The Lancet 401.10373 (2023): 251-253.

All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.

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