New Ebola Study Uncovers Potential Drug Target

Every bit of news about a possible therapy is cause for excitement when it comes to Ebola, the deadly viral haemorrhagic fever that is still ravaging West Africa.

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute have hit on a candidate. In a new study in the journal Science, they suggest that tetrandrine, a compound found naturally in Stephania tetrandra, a climbing plant and component of traditional Chinese medicines, could effectively fight the virus.

A team led by virologist Robert Davey has been working since 2008 to investigate how the Ebola virus enters human cells and what can be done to interrupt the process. Like HIV, Ebola targets the immune system, in effect starting its attack by disarming an opponent. It replicates itself inside macrophages, giant white blood cells that eat bacteria and cellular junk. Read More at SRC: MACLEAN’S