The saliva of the intestinal worms stopped the fatal bleeding
Scientists in the US Army announced last week that they have taken an important step towards the development of a cure for the deadly Ebola virus. The researchers reported in the journal "The Lancet" that the experimental drug was given to monkeys infected with the virus and resulted in a third of them surviving.
The Ebola virus, which causes severe internal bleeding, is 100% fatal in monkeys and 80% fatal in humans. According to the authors of the study, from the Institute of Infectious Disease Research of the US Army, a survival rate of 33% is a very successful result.
The experimental drug, which is derived from hookworms (a type of intestinal worm), is currently being tested in other human studies as a treatment for heart disease, and appears to be safe to use. But according to the authors, more research is needed before the drug, known as rNAPC2, can become an accepted treatment for Ebola.
Experts not involved in military research expressed cautious optimism. "It is clear that this type of research, which achieved a significant reduction in the mortality rate, should be continued," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
There is no cure for Ebola. Human trials to test the effectiveness of an experimental vaccine for the disease have only recently begun. Researchers have previously recorded success in treating the disease in mice and guinea pigs with antiviral agents, but these agents do not achieve a similar result in monkeys.
In the new study, the scientists injected 12 rhesus monkeys with the Ebola virus. Nine of the monkeys were treated with rNAPC2 for 14 days. Some received the drug immediately, and others received it 24 hours after the injection of the virus. Three of the nine survived; In the other six, dying lasted a few days longer than in the three monkeys that did not receive the drug and died.
"Our results have important clinical implications, because our approach to treating Ebola is focused on the disease process and not on the replication process of the infectious agent," reported the team, led by Dr. Thomas Geisbert.
Ebola usually begins with a high fever and flu-like symptoms such as feeling unwell, muscle aches and headache, followed by vomiting, diarrhea and a rash. The virus disrupts the blood clotting mechanism in monkeys and humans and causes severe bleeding and death.
White blood cells called macrophages appear to play a central role in this process. These cells secrete a protein, known as "tissue factor", onto the surface of the cell. During blood flow, the protein forms clots that pave the way for severe bleeding. Geisbert, Dr. Peter Jarling, and the other members of the team chose the anticoagulant rNAPC2 because they thought it would prevent the harmful effects of this protein.
In an interview last week in Dallas, Terry Fredking, one of the authors of the study, said that he provided the raw material used to build the protein in the new drug. "I won't reveal how long it took me to convince Dr. Jarling that the saliva of intestinal worms might help treat Ebola," said Fredking, the founder and president of the Antibody Systems research company.
Fredking said the World Health Organization in Geneva asked team members whether the drug could be used on an experimental basis to treat people with Ebola in the current outbreak of the disease in Congo. According to the World Health Organization, this outbreak, which is now believed to be on the wane, has caused 2 deaths as of December 28.
