The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common viruses worldwide, infecting nearly 95% of the adult population at some stage in their life. Within our company, a steadfast commitment drives the progression of EBV research, focusing on pioneering advancements in vaccine and therapy development services.
Overview of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) belongs to the herpesviruses family. It is an infectious agent that is highly prevalent across the global population. Once a person gets infected by EBV, he/she becomes a danger their whole life but mostly asymptomatic, infectious mononucleosis or even malignancies like Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma can develop due to it. Due to the virus being both lysogenic and lytic, it makes it difficult to be treated with medicine.
Fig.1 Epstein-Barr virus life cycle, latency stages and derived lymphoma. (Andrei G., et al., 2019)
Vaccine Development for Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
Subunit Vaccines
Research is being conducted on this kind of subunit vaccine that targets viral proteins like latent membrane proteins LP1 and LP2 or the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigens. The intent of these vaccines is to provoke strong T-cell responses which will help in managing the reactivation of EBV and the TK-associated cancers.
DNA Vaccines
A different approach, which is promising, has to do with DNA vaccines for which EBV antigens are encoded. Such vaccines can stimulate robust cellular immune responses and have been effective in preclinical models by reducing the viral loads and the EBV-related tumors.
Vaccines for Malignancies
The therapeutic vaccines that are aimed at bolstering the immune responses against cancer cells that have EBV antigens domestically, are still in the initial phase and are only prescribed to patients who are already diagnosed with the EBV-associated cancers. Such vaccines are expected to improve the targeting and the amount of T cells that respond to cells which are infected with EBV.
Therapeutics Development for Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
| Antiviral Agents |
| Nucleoside Analogues |
| Antivirals such as Acyclovir, Ganciclovir, and their derivatives have demonstrated efficacy against EBV in vitro. |
| Nucleotide Analogues |
| In a manner analogous to nucleoside analogues, nucleotide analogues offer an attractive intervention. These agents try to target inhibition of viral replication during the lytic phase but have also encountered problems in clinical efficacy with regard to the latent virus. |
| Immunotherapeutic Approaches |
| Adoptive T-cell Therapy |
| This therapeutic strategy is developed to treat aggressive EBV-related lymphoproliferative diseases as it has demonstrated some potential . It employs the stimulatory T-cells that are targeted towards cells that are specifically infected with the EB virus. |
| Monoclonal Antibodies |
| Marking infected cells for destruction by the immune system or neutralizing virus can be achieved by monoclonal antibodies which target EBV viral antigens. This interventional approach is a therapeutic armory for treating EBV. |
| Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors |
| The combination of therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors is being explored with the aim of augmenting immune response against malignancies associated with EBV. |
Our Services
We are firmly committed to advancing EBV research as it is the core goal of our entrepreneurial organization and hence provide cutting-edge services in vaccine and therapy development. Our approach provides a deep insight into EBV pathogenesis so that the full potential of modern science is harnessed in creating great therapeutics.
Disease Models
- Mice with Reconstituted Human Immune System Components (HIS Mice)
- Mice Engrafted with human CD34+ Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells (HPCs)
- Mice with Depleted or Knocked-out Immune Components (Like NK Cells or Specific T Cell Subsets)
Through these services, our company strives to contribute to the growing field of EBV research, ultimately paving the way for innovative solutions that can effectively combat EBV infections and associated malignancies. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to
contact us.
References
- Andrei, Graciela, Erika Trompet, and Robert Snoeck. "Novel therapeutics for Epstein-Barr virus." Molecules 24.5 (2019): 997.
- Cohen, Jeffrey I. "Vaccine development for Epstein-Barr virus." Human Herpesviruses (2018): 477-493.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
