ABSTRACT
Ebola virus, for which we lack effective countermeasures, causes hemorrhagic fever in humans, with significant case fatality rates. Lack of experimental human models for Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a major obstacle that hinders the development of treatment strategies. Here, we model the Ebola hemorrhagic syndrome in a microvessel-on-a-chip system and demonstrate its applicability to drug studies. Luminal infusion of Ebola virus-like particles leads to albumin leakage from the engineered vessels. The process is mediated by the Rho/ROCK pathway and is associated with cytoskeleton remodeling. Infusion of Ebola glycoprotein (GP1,2) generates a similar phenotype, indicating the key role of GP1,2 in this process. Finally, we measured the potency of a recently developed experimental drug FX06 and a novel drug candidate, melatonin, in phenotypic rescue. Our study confirms the effects of FX06 and identifies melatonin as an effective, safe, inexpensive therapeutic option that is worth investigating in animal models and human trials.
ABSTRACT
Over the past 350 years, Merck has developed science and technology especially in health care, life sciences, and performance materials. To celebrate so many productive years, Merck conducted a special expanded anniversary edition of the Innovation Cup in combination with the scientific conference Curious2018 - Future Insight in Darmstadt, Germany.
