Developing a Safe Lassa Fever Vaccine
Novel Lassa fever live-attenuated vaccine platform with safety features ensuring unbreachable attenuation
This project is creating a new, safer vaccine to protect people from Lassa fever, a serious illness found in West Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11173710 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Lassa fever is a serious disease common in West Africa, with no approved vaccine and limited treatment options. This project aims to create a live-attenuated vaccine (LAV), which uses a weakened form of the virus to teach the body to fight the infection. Researchers are designing this vaccine to be very safe by making specific genetic changes to the virus, ensuring it cannot become harmful again. They have already seen promising results in animal models, where these modified viruses were safe and provided full protection against Lassa fever. The ultimate goal is to develop a highly effective and safe vaccine to prevent this devastating disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is for future vaccine development, so ideal candidates would eventually be individuals at high risk of Lassa fever infection, particularly in West Africa.
Not a fit: Patients currently suffering from Lassa fever would not directly benefit from this vaccine development project, as it focuses on prevention rather than treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this vaccine could offer much-needed protection against Lassa fever, significantly reducing illness and death in affected regions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work by these researchers has shown that similar modified viruses are safe and protective in animal models, suggesting a promising approach for this vaccine.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De la Torre, Juan C. — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: De la Torre, Juan C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.