Publications by authors named "S P Honnold"
Article Synopsis
- Venezuelan, eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses are dangerous viruses that can cause severe illness in both horses and humans, but there are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for them.
- Vaccine development requires FDA approval based on animal models that accurately reflect human disease, but existing mouse models do not do so effectively, as they result in different disease outcomes than in humans.
- Recent studies indicate that using hamsters as a model for testing vaccines and therapies against these viruses is also ineffective, as their disease symptoms do not align with those seen in humans or non-human primates.
Western, Eastern, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (WEEV, EEEV, and VEEV, respectively) are important mosquito-borne agents that pose public health and bioterrorism threats. Despite considerable advances in understanding alphavirus replication, there are currently no available effective vaccines or antiviral treatments against these highly lethal pathogens. To develop a potential countermeasure for viral encephalitis, we generated a trivalent, or three-component, EEV vaccine composed of virus-like particles (VLPs).
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- The persistence of the Ebola virus (EBOV) in asymptomatic individuals and the health issues it causes have become major public health concerns following the 2013-2016 EVD outbreak in Western Africa.
- Researchers discovered that EBOV can persist in immune-privileged sites, such as the eyes and brain, of asymptomatic rhesus monkeys, which survived the infection either naturally or after treatment.
- The study highlights the role of certain immune cells (CD68 cells) as reservoirs for the virus in these areas and suggests that this monkey model can help advance understanding of EVD sequelae and inform the development of effective treatments for EBOV persistence.
Lassa virus (LASV) infection causes an acute, multisystemic viral hemorrhagic fever that annually infects an estimated 100 000 to 300 000 persons in West Africa. This pathogenesis study evaluated the temporal progression of disease in guinea pigs following aerosol and subcutaneous inoculation of the Josiah strain of LASV as well as the usefulness of Strain 13 guinea pigs as an animal model for Lassa fever. After experimental infection, guinea pigs ( Cavia porcellus; n = 67) were serially sampled to evaluate the temporal progression of infection, gross and histologic lesions, and serum chemistry and hematologic changes.
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- Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a highly infectious virus recognized as a potential bio-terrorism threat, and there is currently no effective licensed vaccine available.
- Researchers inactivated an attenuated strain of VEEV using a chemical called 1,5-iodonaphthyl azide (INA) and tested its effectiveness against a virulent form of the virus.
- The study found that intramuscular vaccination with the INA-inactivated version (INA-iV3526) resulted in complete protection from the aerosolized virulent VEEV, indicating its potential as a viable vaccine candidate.