New Ebola Virus Glycoproteins from BPS Bioscience

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BPS Bioscience

Dec 10, 2014, 03:00 ET

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 10, 2014 -- Ebolavirus (EBOV) is a negative-stranded, membrane-enveloped filovirus which causes an acute, serious illness that is often fatal to humans if untreated. In March of 2014, an outbreak of Ebola occurred in West Africa that has continued to infect individuals as part of the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of the disease. This outbreak has caused more illness and deaths than all previous outbreaks combined; it has spread between countries as well as across continents, and on August 8, 2014, the WHO Director-General declared the outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”*

The severity of the current outbreak highlights the dangerous nature of this virus and emphasizes the need for research into a cure. The virus enters the human population through direct contact with live or dead infected animals and is subsequently transmitted from human to human through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. Once in the blood, the virus enters host cells via virally-expressed EBOV glycoprotein1,2 (GP1,2). GP1,2 contains two subunits named GP1 and GP2. The GP1 subunit is responsible for viral attachment to host cells, while the GP2 subunit mediates fusion of the viral and host cell membranes. Thus, GP1,2, along with its subunits, are attractive targets for the development of therapeutic antibodies and vaccines that elicit a response targeting GP1,2. Indeed, several monoclonal antibodies directed against the GP protein have demonstrated an ability to neutralize EBOV in vitro or protect monkeys from infection. An example of this is the ZMapp monoclonal antibody cocktail being developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. (San Diego, CA)^.

However, none of these antibodies has resulted in a cure for human Ebola infection. To aid research efforts, BPS is pleased to announce that it will be offering several versions of Zaire EBOV (Zebov) GP proteins, including GP1,2, GP1, and GP2, with biotin-labeled versions coming soon. These highly pure, recombinant proteins are well-suited for immunization as part of a monoclonal antibody production process or for screening a library of antibodies for therapeutic potential.

To learn more about BPS’s Zebov proteins please visit http://bpsbioscience.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=ebola&x=0&y=0. For additional information on BPS’s custom screening services, please visit http://bpsbioscience.com/biological-services.

About BPS Bioscience, Inc.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, BPS Bioscience, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of epigenetic enzymes and assay kits for life science research, including HDACs, histone demethylases, DNA and histone methyltransferases, bromodomains, PARPs, acetyltransferases, methyl lysine readers, and more. BPS also offers compound screening and profiling services and cell based assays for drug discovery. BPS has provided products and services to pharmaceutical companies and academic institutes in over 45 countries worldwide, and it continues to expand its portfolio of innovative drug discovery products. By being at the forefront of technology development, BPS focuses on providing quality life science products and services in a timely manner that will help our customers to accelerate drug discovery and development for treatment of human diseases. Visit BPS’s website for more information: http://www.bpsbioscience.com.

Henry Zhu, BPS Bioscience, http://www.bpsbioscience.com, +1 (858) 829-3082, [email protected]