Purdue researchers unlock secrets of Ebola
The human immune system response to the Ebola virus is what makes the viral infection so lethal, Purdue University researcher David Sanders said.
Sanders, and his lab team have studied Ebola and other viruses.
The researchers are working to, among other things, determine how the viruses structurally and biochemically enter human cells, and fend off attacks by the immune system.
Symptoms of Ebola infection include sudden fever, intense weakness and muscle pain followed by vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function, and internal and external bleeding, according to the World Health Organization.
The bleeding, known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is part of the body’s attempts fight off the virus, Sanders said.
“It isn’t the virus that damages the tissue,” he said, “it is the immunity system that causes the damage. It is an aberrant response to the virus.”
Sanders’ lab has identified a protein in the virus that is involved in the virus’ entry to human cells.
One region of the protein seems to be involved in the virus’ ability to evade the immune system.
“The region of that protein is so variable it seems to allow the virus to escape the immune response such as one generated by a vaccine,” he said.
That protein is closely related to bird retroviruses, he said, suggesting the bird virus protein and the Eboloa virus protein were at some time associated with a bird.
The Ebola virus is transmitted from fruit bats specific to Central and West Africa to nonhuman primates, then transmitted to humans who come into contact with infected animals such as chimpanzees or gorillas, according to the World Health Organization.
International health organizations are monitoring Ebola virus outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. About 1,200 cases had been reported by July 23, and 672 patients had died.
Sanders and his team are continuing to look at the specific steps of how the virus enters cells in the search for a way to block the virus from entering.