Jefferson University Hospitals

A person, usually a child, dies of rabies every 20 minutes. However, only one inoculation may be all it takes for rabies vaccination, according to new research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Jefferson Vaccine Center.

A replication-deficient rabies virus vaccine that lacks a key gene called the matrix (M) gene induced a rapid and efficient anti-rabies immune response in mice and non-human primates, according to James McGettigan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Jefferson Medical College.

"The M gene is one of the central genes of the rabies virus, and its absence inhibits the virus from completing its life cycle," Dr. McGettigan said. "The virus in the vaccine infects cells and induces an immune response, but the virus is deficient in spreading."

The immune response induced with this process is so substantial that only one inoculation may be sufficient enough, according to Dr. McGettigan. In addition, the vaccine appears to be efficient in both preexposure and postexposure settings.

Warren R. Maley, MD, recently joined the Department of Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals and will serve as Director of the Live Donor Liver Transplant Program. He has also been named Associate Professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College. Dr. Maley has performed extensive research in the fields of Liver Transplantation and Surgical Therapy to improve patient safety and care.

Dr. Maley has an extensive list of published research studies in such leading journals as Transplant Proceedings, Transplantation, Liver Transplantation and Annals of Surgery; and has authored or co-authored eight book chapters.

The first Liver Transplant in the Delaware Valley was performed at Jefferson and our Liver Transplantation Program is the longest continuously active liver transplantation program in the area. Learn more about the Division of Transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.