by admin | Jun 6, 2016 | News
Update on Ebola vaccine: report on phase 1 trials In the wake of the Ebola virus outbreak being declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), the vesicular stomatitis virus Ebola Consortium (VEBCON) was established (under auspices of WHO) in August 2014. Here the aim was to initiate phase 1 testing of the replication-competent recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)–vectored Zaire ebolavirus (rVSV-ZEBOV) candidate vaccine. The Canadian Government donated a total of 800 vaccine doses to the WHO. Preclinical safety records demonstrated that among approximately 80 immunized non-human primates, none displayed detectable toxic effects. In addition, none of the animals exhibited detectable illness after immunization. For phase 1, three open-label, dose-escalation phase 1 trials and one randomized, double-blind, controlled phase 1 trial were performed to determine the safety, side-effect profile, and immunogenicity of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine. This was done at various doses for a period of six months in healthy adults in Europe and Africa (Lambaréné, Gabon; Kilifi, Kenya; Hamburg, Germany; and Geneva, Switzerland). This study showed that while the vaccine was reactogenic, no serious adverse effects were reported. More importantly, the vaccine was immunogenic with all participants producing sustained levels of anti-bodies throughout the 180 days. Greater antibody titers were observed at higher concentrations of the vaccine. The authors report that this vaccine resulted in a favourable risk– benefit balance and that the data from phase 1 contributed to the dose selection process performed by the vaccine manufacturers. It has raised the awareness about the specific adverse events to be expected with the use of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine to all stake-holders. In addition,...
by admin | Jun 6, 2016 | News
US Public approves gene editing to improve health During December 2015, an International Summit on Human Gene Editing was co-hosted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The organizing committee requested an ongoing international forum to gather the perspectives of various stakeholders, which included members of the general public. Its aim was to determine what the US public thought about gene therapy and gene editing, how they felt about changing the genetic characteristics of human embryos or germline cells, and how interested they were in taking genetic tests in the future. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported on 17 public opinion polls that were conducted over the past three decades. Their results showed that the public was not familiar with many of the terms used in the national debate over gene therapy and gene editing. Subsequently, the pollsters used a variety of easier-to-understand terms they thought might not be scientifically precise. For example: “germline editing” was used to describe changing “the genes of unborn babies,” “a child’s genetic structure in the womb,” or “a baby’s genetic characteristics.” The overall conclusion from the authors was quite revealing: “Most of the public favors gene therapy for clinical use in patients with serious diseases. The majority do not support gene editing in human embryos or germline cells”. The findings of this study demonstrated an alignment between that public’s view and the conclusions of the organizing committee of the NAS summit. The authors do, however, state that public opinion could change over time as the discussions of such issues continue to evolve and as more...
by admin | Apr 22, 2016 | News
PSSA 2016 conference: 28th – 31st August 2016 Welcome to PSSA 2016 in Cape Town. It is my great pleasure to announce this year’s PSSA conference in Cape Town at the River Club; located in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, a mere 10 minutes from the CBD, famous V&A Waterfront and only 15 minutes from the Cape Town International Airport. Mark your calendar: Dates are 28th – 31st August 2016. Register Now Accommodation In addition to advancing physiology research in South Africa and in line with the recent initiative to strengthen robust links with the African Association of Physiological Sciences (AAPS), the vision of PSSA 2016 conference is to showcase our research achievements and prepare PSSA scientists to play a leading role at the AAPS conference in Lagos scheduled on 5th-8th September 2016. The Local organizing committee comprising of Prof Edward Ojuka (Chair), Prof Malcolm Collins, Prof Dirk Lang, Dr Asfree Gwanyanya and Dr Dale Rae (Secretary) are working hard to put together a rich program and invite prominent speakers from local and international Universities. The full calendar of events at the conference can be viewed from the PSSA 2016 conference site. We look forward to receiving your abstracts and encourage as many students as possible to present at the conference. An additional budget will be made available for travel bursaries to support students from the far corners of the country. Details and deadlines will be announced shortly. Awards for the “best paper in the past year”, the “best method”, and the Wyndham Prize Competition will remain prominent features of PSSA 2016 conference. Prof Edward Ojuka Chairman, Local...
