A drug derived from a Chinese medicinal herb is showing promise for combating Ebola infection, effectively imprisoning the virus inside cells so it cannot do its usual damage, scientists said last week.
The researchers said the compound, called tetrandrine, blocked infection of human white blood cells in lab dishes and prevented Ebola virus disease in lab mice. More research is needed, including studies on monkeys, before it can be tested in people, they added.
“The work has revealed a new chink in the armour of Ebola virus,” said virologist Robert Davey of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, who estimated this approach could potentially be used to treat people in two to five years.
There is no approved drug treatment or vaccine for the Ebola virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever and spreads person to person through contact with body fluids.
“In my opinion, tetrandrine is now one of the most promising candidates that could be used to inhibit Ebola virus infection,” said Norbert Klugbauer, a pharmacologist and microbiologist at Germany’s University of Freiburg who also worked on the study published in the journal Science.
The researchers identified channels that are important in controlling the movement of the ‘bubbles’ within cells. These are known as ‘two-pore channels’. The study showed that tetrandrine blocked these channels, effectively imprisoning the virus inside the ‘bubbles’ so it could not actually infect the cell.
Decision on widespread vaccination in August at earliest – WHO
An independent advisory body will decide in August at the earliest on whether to recommend widespread introduction of Ebola vaccine, depending on results of clinical trials and the epidemic’s course, the World Health Organisation said last week.
Reporting on a three-day meeting of experts, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a news briefing: “Vaccine introduction is by no means a given and will depend on the results of clinical trials and recommendations from WHO’s Strategy Advisory Group of Experts (Sage) on vaccines and immunisation.
“The earliest that the Sage is expected to make recommendations on a wide-scale introduction is August. Decisions on whether or not to introduce the vaccine will be made by the respective ministries of health of countries,” he said.