Scientific researchers at a U.S. military research institute have come a step closer
to creating a therapy for the deadly Ebola virus but are a long way from development of a
treatment for humans, a study published in Friday's issue of the journal Science said.
``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
Researchers at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in
Frederick, Maryland, found antibodies which are small proteins that could attach
themselves to some proteins found on the surface of the Ebola virus.
Generally scientists believe that the proteins on the surface of the Ebola virus are
critical to how the lethal virus makes its way into human cells and infects them.
The researchers found that in experiments on mice the antibodies were somehow
able to block the ability of the virus to infect and reproduce itself in the mice.
Ebola is a deadly hemorrhagic fever that has appeared in some African countries.
It was uncertain whether the antibodies would work on all the different Ebola strains, but
the research was considered a step toward development of eventual treatment for the
``The role of antibodies in protection against the Ebola virus has been unclear and
in this study we identified antibodies that bind to five different regions of the virus
proteins that are protective in mice,'' said Mary Kate Hart, an immunologist who was part
of the research team for the study. ''This indicates that antibodies are involved in
I am very glad that in the U.S. we are getting closer to finding cures for Ebola and
other illnesses. During the 1970's and the 80's, we were finding cures for many different
things, but in the 90's we seem to have slowed down. We haven't found as many cures
...