Last Wednesday, the first known protein developed to neutralize the deadliest form of the deadly Ebola virus was delivered in human trials in the United States. The researchers who created it have said it’s the first step in protecting against the virus without risking someone’s life.
Though the protein is specifically designated to counteract the hemorrhagic fever, researchers say it could also be an effective vaccine against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
“We’re just at the very beginning of the research,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The vaccine center that engineered the protein is based at the University of Pretoria and most of the scientists who worked on it are based in South Africa. But, many of the people at the center are based in the United States, including a team of scientists who originated at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
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