Lab-made antibodies offer potential cure for yellow fever

Climate change likely to make yellow fever more common; OHSU collaborates to eliminate virus in animal model

By Franny White March 29, 2023 Portland, Oregon

Downloads

OHSU has developed a nonhuman primate model of hepatitis B and is working with companies that are interested in using the model to evaluate potential new treatments for chronic hepatitis B. Shown here are: Sreya Biswas, Ph.D. (left), Benjamin Burwitz, Ph.D. (center), and Lauren Rust, Ph.D. (right) . (OHSU/Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

Ben Burwitz, Ph.D. (OHSU)

Monoclonal Antibodies to Fight Yellow Fever

Captured through a microscope, this enlarged image illustrates how yellow fever virus (purple coloring) is below detectable levels in the blood of research animals given a monoclonal antibody after being exposed to the virus (bottom squares). By comparison, yellow fever virus is clearly visible in the blood of research animals that didn’t receive a monoclonal antibody (top squares). This research suggests lab-made antibodies may be able to cure people who get sick with yellow fever, a disease for which there is no approved treatment. (OHSU)