Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals a Controlled Immune Response to Zaire Ebola Virus Challenge in Cynomolgus Macaques Immunized with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Expressing Zaire Ebola Virus

Vesicular stomatitis virus expressing Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein (VSVG/EBOVgp) could be used as a vaccine to meet the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak. To characterize the host response to this vaccine, we used mRNA sequencing to analyze pe-ripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cynomolgus macaques after VSVG/EBOVgp immunization and subsequent EBOV challenge. We found a controlled transcriptional response that transitioned to immune regulation as the EBOVwas cleared. This observation supports the safety of the vaccine. The 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has highlightedthe need to deliver a vaccine to those in direct contact with the virus, which includes health care workers and first responders (1). At present, two vaccines are undergoing clinical trials; both have shown effective protection in nonhuman primates (NHPs) and express the Zaire Ebola virus glycoprotein (EBOVgp) on an ade-novirus (2) or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) (3, 4) backbone. The VSV-based vaccine has the advantage of needing only a single immunization without a separate boost, and it has increased du-rability. As we have reported, the immunity provided by VSV expressing EBOV glycoprotein (VSVG/EBOVgp) vaccine com