Developing a Safe Lassa Fever Vaccine
Official title: Novel Lassa fever live-attenuated vaccine platform with safety features ensuring unbreachable attenuation
Funded at Scripps Research Institute, the · NIH-11173710 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | August 20, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $469,396 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI181212-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173710 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
Patients currently suffering from Lassa fever would not directly benefit from this vaccine development project, as it focuses on prevention rather than treatment.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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.
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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.