Ebola Researcher Explains Antibody Treatments, Need for a Therapy That Works Against All Strains
Jonathan Lai, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has spearheaded the development of a potential antibody therapy for the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, one of the two most lethal strains, and is also working on antibodies that can fight multiple strains. (The Zaire ebolavirus is the strain responsible for the current epidemic in West Africa.)
“The Sudan strain can be associated with large outbreaks, including what was -before this epidemic-the largest ever outbreak of an Ebola virus in 2000, but there are few antibodies available for it,” says Lai. All the experimental antibody treatments used during this current outbreak (including ZMapp and TKM-Ebola) would not work on the other strains. Lai recently received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for this research.
Dr. Lai’s lab is also looking to find an antibody or cocktail of antibodies that not only fights the Sudan strain, but multiple species of Ebola simultaneously. “We think it would be very useful to have a therapy in place that works against all Ebola virus species,” Lai says.
Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
