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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Meghan DeMaria

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