Asian herb may protect against Ebola

WASHINGTON: A molecule derived from an Asian herb may protect against Ebola by switching off channels which the virus uses to enter and infect cells, a study suggests.

Researchers said the molecule called Tetrandrine has shown to be potent in inhibiting infection of human white blood cells in vitro or petri dish experiments and prevented Ebola in mice. Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have been working on stopping the virus before it has a chance to enter or interact with cellular factors.

The Ebola virus begins its entry into a cell by first binding to several types of cell surface proteins. Then the virus is taken into the cell and follows an endosomal route, or membrane-bound route that transports it to various cell compartments.

“With this research, we discovered that two pore channels (TPCs) are the key calcium sensor involved in Ebola virus infection. These TPCs needed to be turned on in order for the virus to function properly," said Robert Davey, from the Department of Immunology and Virology.

The team found Tetrandrine protected mice from disease without obvious side effects and was the best candidate for further animal testing, as it was the most potent compound tested and gave little proof of cytotoxicity.