Key protein pathways critical to Ebola virus can be blocked, according to new study

Scientists have successfully blocked the Ebola infection in cell-culture experiments, in a critical early step to develop a vaccine for the life-threatening virus. The Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, the largest in history, still remains in the news today. First reported in December 2013, the CDC estimates 27,678 cases of infections with the total death count at 11,276. Although the World Health Organization recently declared Liberia to be ‘free of Ebola’, the deadly disease is still rife in parts of Africa. Recent analysis has stated that global aid in response to the threat has “fallen short.” There are many vaccines currently being tested, although none at this time are available for clinical use. However, scientists may have now discovered a critical early step in the development of a vaccine. The findings, published in the journal Drug Discovery Research, saw researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, TX, take a...