Scientists identify 53 drug compounds that could treat Ebola

Scientists identify 53 drug compounds that could treat Ebola
(Image credit: ChinaFotoPress/Stringer/Getty Images)

New research published in the journal Emerging Microbes and Infections gives hope to the idea that existing drug compounds could be used to treat Ebola.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the National Institutes of Health found 53 existing drug compounds that could be effective in treating Ebola. To find the compounds, the researchers looked through 2,816 drug compounds used to treat other conditions, including cancer and depression. They looked for compounds that could "prevent Ebola from infecting human cells by 50 percent," Time reports.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.