Fort Detrick becomes partner to develop encephalitis vaccine

Mar. 10, 2007
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon@fredericknewspost.com

  FREDERICK — The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick will get help from a San Diego-based biotech company to develop a DNA vaccine for equine encephalitis.
     The United States Department of Defense granted a two-year contract worth more than $900,000 to Ichor Medical Systems in January.
     Ichor pioneered a vaccine delivery system based on tissue electroporation — a process of using high-voltage electric current to pass new DNA through cell membranes.
     The company developed the TriGrid Delivery System, a gunlike device that uses a grid of interlocking triangle electrodes to deliver DNA vaccines. The process improves delivery of DNA drugs encoded with therapeutic proteins or antigens for vaccines.
     Ichor will work with Dr. Con nie Schmaljohn, senior research scientist at USAMRIID, to evaluate several vaccine candidates for equine encephalitis using Ichor's DNA vaccine delivery system.
     Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus and Western equine encephalitis virus cause diseases in humans.
     Mosquitoes can carry the viruses between animals and people. The viruses can kill horses, people and some birds and is considered the most serious mosquito-borne disease in the United States.
     Many people infected with the viruses have no apparent warnings, but others may suffer flulike symptoms, inflammation of the brain, coma and death.
     About half of people who survive the viruses will have mild to severe permanent neurologic damage.
     The Centers for Disease Control considers these viruses potential biothreat agents.