Geneva university spearheads Ebola research task

The experimental vaccine, VSV-EBOV, has been the subject of a study in Geneva since November 2014 Mathilde Missioneiro / WHO

The University of Geneva is to lead an EU research project using data from the Ebola vaccine trials underway at Geneva University Hospital (HUG). The aim is to understand in detail the vaccine’s effect on the immune system.

Twelve partner institutions from across Europe, Africa and the US will take part, the hospital said on Friday.

The work will run for three years and will cost almost €4 million (CHF ).

A total of 115 volunteers are involved in testing out the potential vaccine, samples from these ongoing trials at the hospital will be used for the data.

The researchers will compare almost 20,000 genes to find out why the volunteers reacted differently to the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine.

“We have in our possession a unique number of samples that make up an exceptional database,” Claire-Anne Siegrist, head of the Center of Vaccinology of the Geneva University Hospital, said in a press release.

The vaccine study in Geneva was temporarily suspended in December 2014 after some of the participants complained of unexpected but mild joint pain in their hands and feet. The trial resumed in January using a lower dose of the drug.