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The article discusses a new vaccine candidate called LASSARAB, developed by researchers, which shows promise in protecting against Lassa fever. LASSARAB is a deactivated or killed vaccine that effectively prevents severe cases of the disease and death in preclinical animal models. This vaccine has an advantage over other Lassa fever vaccine platforms that are based on live viral vectors, as it is considered safer. Lassa fever is a severe hemorrhagic disease endemic to parts of West Africa, causing significant morbidity and mortality. The development of this new vaccine offers hope for effective prevention of Lassa fever, addressing the significant public health threat posed by the disease.
Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland Baltimore, in collaboration with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the Geneva Foundation, have developed a promising new vaccine candidate that protects against Lassa fever. The study, published in npj Vaccines on August 9, 2024, demonstrated that the vaccine effectively prevents severe cases of the disease and death in preclinical animal models and paves the way for research in people.
To date, several Lassa candidate vaccines are currently in development. However, out of these, Matthias Schnell, PhD, director of the Jefferson Center for Vaccines and Pandemic Preparedness at Thomas Jefferson University, who co-led the study, pointed out that his team’s LASSARAB vaccine has an advantage. He noted that the two other platforms in development for Lassa fever are both based on live viral vectors, “which come with their own safety issues,” he says. “Our vaccine is a deactivated or killed vaccine which is considered safer in general.”
The vaccine, named LASSARAB, uses a deactivated rabies virus platform to deliver antigens to protect against the Lassa fever virus. Lassa fever is a severe hemorrhagic disease that is endemic to parts of West Africa, causing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 infections and over 5,000 deaths each year. The disease can lead to severe complications including organ failure, deafness, and long-term neurological disorders. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines to prevent Lassa fever.
“The damage to a patient is devastating,” says Kathleen Cashman, PhD, a virologist