Antibody therapeutics for Ebola virus disease

Abstract

With the unprecedented scale of the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, the clinical and scientific community scrambled to identify potential therapeutics for Ebola virus disease (EVD). Passive administration of antibodies has a long successful history for prophylaxis and therapy of a variety of infectious diseases, but the importance of antibodies in EVD has been unclear and is the subject of some debate. Recent studies in non-human primates have renewed interest in the potential of antibodies to impact EVD. Currently ongoing clinical evaluation of polyclonal and monoclonal antibody therapy in EVD patients in West Africa may finally offer a definitive answer to this debate.

Figure 1. Changes in plasma viral load (qPCR Ct) and in Ebola Makona protein reactivity (Antibody Reactivity), post convalescent plasma (CP) and ZMAb administration in an EVD patient

Sequential patient plasma and sera taken days post illness onset were tested by quantitative RT-PCR to Zaire species viruses and indirect ELISA against Ebola Makona infected cell and control lysates (replicates; qPCR n=2 for Ct<30, n=6 for Ct>30. n=3 for EIA). Patient received a unit of convalescent plasma (CP) on days 2 and 3 post illness onset and a dose of ZMAb (50 mg/kg) on days 6 and 9 post illness onset.