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Could a Cure be in the Blood?
35 Ebola patients received blood from survivors in the past month as part of a clinical trial in Sierra Leone, and the early results indicate that 80% lived—an improvement over the recent survival rate of 50%.
Antibody proteins produced by the immune system to block the Ebola virus in the weeks following an infection are the likely reason. This week, a bigger, better-funded convalescent-plasma trial is set start in Sierra Leone and Guinea. Blood plasma is especially promising, because it also contains antibodies, but can also be donated more frequently and stored longer than whole blood.
While the US has committed more than $240 million to vaccines and drugs, West African countries have pushed for the blood treatment. As David Wood, a WHO virologist, said, “The countries really liked the blood option more than the drugs because there is no manufacturer behind it and no international regulatory approvals required.”
** Al Jazeera (http://jhsph.us3.list-
Related: UN health agency approves rapid test for Ebola, as decline in cases appears to level off – ** UN News Service (http://jhsph.us3.list-
Related: Ebola Doctor Fears Deadly Scenes May Yet be Repeated – ** Voice of America (http://jhsph.us3.list-
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