Is this the definitive cure for Ebola? Researchers find Ebola's 'Achilles heel'

Protien removal may be the new answer.

Hope for new treatments that finally avert Ebola grows with the recent discovery from researchers that there is a weak spot within the deadly virus. According to researchers in New York, a specific protein that determines whether or not the Ebola virus can further spread and infect its victim has been identified. The dangerous and contagious Ebola disease has infected almost 27,000 people, killing 11,135, in the last 18 months. Liberia and Sierra Leone are where the outbreak first erupted. It wasn't until May 9 that the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Liberia is now Ebola-free.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic, Online) - It was discovered that the Ebola virus can only infect cells by attaching to a particular protein, known as the Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). Further information reveals that if the Ebola virus is unable to attach itself to the NPC1 protein, it loses its ability to infect and kill its victim. Scientists have been preoccupied in trying to focus their efforts into examining the disease even more and trying to develop the world's first effective vaccine.  

Dr Kartik Chandran, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said, "Our study reveals NPC1 to be an Achilles heel for Ebola virus infection." He and his team assert that obstructing the pathway between the virus and the NPC1 protein could provide total protection against the virus.

However, Chandran warned that a negative portion of the discovery is that the protein performs vital functions inside cells, such as transporting cholesterol. Removing or disabling the protein can indeed open the possibility of susceptibility to severe illness.

Some researchers explained that totally blocking the protein and shutting out the virus permanently may not even be necessary.

People who lack the protein, due to genetic mutations, can develop a lethal neurodegenerative disorder called Niemann-Pick disease, which causes cells to become fatally clogged with cholesterol. However, scientists still remain positive about this possible cures for Ebola.

The researchers hope more efficient ways of targeting NPC1 can be developed to provide an effective treatment. 

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