low graphics version | feedback | help
| Front Page World UK UK Politics Business |
| Sci/Tech |
| Health Education Sport Entertainment Talking Point In Depth AudioVideo |
|
 BBC Science's Helen Sewell"Ebola is one of the most virulent diseases known"  real 28k |
Ebola cure possible
Ebola killed 245 people in Zaire in 1995
Ebola, one of the most terrifying diseases in the world, could be treatable according to a new study.
The research, done on mice in the US, even suggests that an effective vaccine could be developed in the future.
Ebola viruses cause catastrophic internal bleeding in infected humans. The disease is nearly always fatal and no vaccines or treatments currently exist.
The research, done on mice in the US, even suggests that an effective vaccine could be developed in the future.
Ebola viruses cause catastrophic internal bleeding in infected humans. The disease is nearly always fatal and no vaccines or treatments currently exist.
 Several lethal strains
|
However, the scientific team, led by Mary Kate Hart at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland, has discovered a promising approach.
They managed to produce antibodies to the virus in laboratory mice. These antibodies were then removed and replicated.
A second set of mice was injected with the antibodies, both before and after being injected with Ebola - many of them survived, despite receiving 300 times the lethal dose.
The antibodies were administered a day before or after infection, which normally kills within a week. Most of the mice lived for at least 28 days.
New hope
There are several lethal strains of the Ebola virus but the disabling antibodies attach to a part of the virus common to all of them.
Previous studies had suggested that antibodies did not help protect from Ebola, but this new work shows that there is hope.
"These results suggest that it is possible to elicit by vaccination, or produce for therapeutic use, antibodies protective against all Ebola viruses that are pathogenic for humans," the team conclude, in the journal Science.
They managed to produce antibodies to the virus in laboratory mice. These antibodies were then removed and replicated.
A second set of mice was injected with the antibodies, both before and after being injected with Ebola - many of them survived, despite receiving 300 times the lethal dose.
The antibodies were administered a day before or after infection, which normally kills within a week. Most of the mice lived for at least 28 days.
New hope
There are several lethal strains of the Ebola virus but the disabling antibodies attach to a part of the virus common to all of them.
Previous studies had suggested that antibodies did not help protect from Ebola, but this new work shows that there is hope.
"These results suggest that it is possible to elicit by vaccination, or produce for therapeutic use, antibodies protective against all Ebola viruses that are pathogenic for humans," the team conclude, in the journal Science.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
 | BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
See also:
Internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Links to other Sci/Tech stories are at the foot of the page.
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~30~RS~)