Drugs boost Ebola survival rates
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A clinical trial conducted in the midst of an Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has identified two new drugs that can dramatically cut mortality from the disease
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Scanning electron micrograph of Ebola virus budding – exiting from surface of
host cell
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Ebola virus: Disease is transmitted by contact with blood or bodily fluids, including sweat, of infected person
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Viral envelope
Outer membrane is studded with glycoprotein which binds to receptors on host cells
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Matrix layer
Contains viral proteins which enable budding and disable infected host’s immune response
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Treatment: Known by their code names as REGN-EB3 and mAb114, drugs belong to class of treatments called monoclonal antibodies
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Virus

Monoclonal antibodies
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Antibodies: Protein molecules injected shortly after infection lock onto
glycoprotein of invading virus, disabling it, or marking infected human cells for destruction by immune-system
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Genome
One molecule strand of RNA (ribonucleic acid)
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Ebola: Haemorrhagic fever kills nine in 10 of those it infects        90%
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Mortality rates of 499 patients: REGN-EB3 (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) 29%
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mAb114 (U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)   34%
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Sourcs: AFP, The BMJ   Picture: NIAID Research Facility © GRAPHIC NEWS