According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus is a priority pathogen that must be countered through urgent research and development action. Infection with Nipah virus can be fatal in up to 75% of cases, but there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics.
Progress across PSI’s Henipavirus Programme were shared last week at the Institute’s second annual Nipah Virus Research Day.
The event gathered University of Oxford researchers with collaborators from the Uniformed Services University, the Rosalind Franklin Institute and the Pirbright Institute, to explore the latest interdisciplinary advancements in Nipah virus research.
Dr Tara Hurst, Henipavirus Programme Manager at PSI, said: “This event brought together world-leading scientists to share their research and discuss developments in our understanding of the virus itself, as well as medical countermeasures to manage outbreaks in ethical and equitable ways.
“The day showcased our cross-disciplinary programme and encouraged collaboration across Oxford and beyond.”
Event highlights
Nipah Virus Research Day opened with a talk from Professor Brian Angus on the University of Oxford’s first in-human vaccine trial against Nipah, which is contributing to global efforts to address the virus.
Developed by PSI’s Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, the vaccine trial launched earlier this year and is being led by colleagues at Oxford Vaccine Group. Preliminary vaccine phase I trial results were presented by Dr Dan Jenkin during the event.
Professor Christopher Broder from Uniformed Services University, USA, gave the keynote address focused on medical countermeasures. Professor Broder is also an inventor on several patents related to henipaviruses, including foundational work for the development of the Equivac HeV vaccine, currently used to vaccinate horses against Hendra.
Professor Broder provided an overview of studies assessing the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against Hendra and two strains of Nipah – the Bangladesh strain (NiVB) and the Malaysia strain (NiVM). His talk also explored the biology of Nipah and Hendra viruses, and addressed the viability of new vaccine platforms and novel research tools.
Other talks included updates from the Pandemic Antiviral Discovery Initiative, alongside presentations on virology and structural biology, epidemiology, as well as ethics and policy issues.
The topics’ breadth demonstrated the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in tackling emerging viruses with pandemic potential.
Nipah: past, present and future
Henipaviruses are newly emerging viruses that are transmitted from animals to humans.
The first cases of bat-borne Nipah virus were reported in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998, followed by outbreaks in the Philippines, Bangladesh and India.
Alongside Nipah, other henipaviruses include Cedar – which does not cause disease in humans – and the highly fatal Hendra, only found in Australia.
A recent Lancet Microbe study co-authored by PSI scientists reviewed the therapeutic options for Nipah virus disease currently in development, suggesting which treatments should be prioritised for clinical trials.