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Scientists find Ebola, Marburg virus key
<!-- BODY BEGIN -->ATLANTA, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have found the key mechanism by which the lethal viruses Ebola and Marburg viruses cause disease.
The discovery by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Columbia University and the Caribbean Primate Research Center is expected to lead to new drugs for treatment of certain viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans and apes.
The researchers identified an amino acid sequence in Filoviruses that results in the rapid depression of immunological response. That information can be used to start development of new drugs to halt the devastating diseases.
Filoviruses are associated with outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever in sub-Saharan Africa. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are of specific concern because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality and the potential for rapid dissemination through human-to-human transmission.
Both humans and apes are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic fevers and it is speculated filovirus infections account at least in part for the recent decline in the gorilla and chimpanzee populations in central Africa.
There is no cure or vaccine for either the Marburg or Ebola virus.
The research is described in the December issue of The FASEB Journal.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20061016-16391500-bc-us-ebola.xml
<!-- BODY BEGIN -->ATLANTA, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have found the key mechanism by which the lethal viruses Ebola and Marburg viruses cause disease.
The discovery by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Columbia University and the Caribbean Primate Research Center is expected to lead to new drugs for treatment of certain viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans and apes.
The researchers identified an amino acid sequence in Filoviruses that results in the rapid depression of immunological response. That information can be used to start development of new drugs to halt the devastating diseases.
Filoviruses are associated with outbreaks of fatal hemorrhagic fever in sub-Saharan Africa. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are of specific concern because they are associated with high morbidity and mortality and the potential for rapid dissemination through human-to-human transmission.
Both humans and apes are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic fevers and it is speculated filovirus infections account at least in part for the recent decline in the gorilla and chimpanzee populations in central Africa.
There is no cure or vaccine for either the Marburg or Ebola virus.
The research is described in the December issue of The FASEB Journal.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20061016-16391500-bc-us-ebola.xml
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