New Ebola Drug 100% Effective In Monkeys

TrisexualPuppy writes "A team of scientists at Boston University has created a cure for the Ebola virus, first discovered in 1976. After setting the correct dosages, all monkeys tested with the vaccine survived with only mild effects. No tests have been performed on humans yet, as outbreaks happen infrequently and are difficult to track. Quoting NPR: '[The drug] contains snippets of RNA derived from three of the virus's seven genes. That "payload" is packaged in protective packets of nucleic acid and fat molecules. These little stealth missiles attach to the Ebola virus's replication machinery, "silencing" the genes from which they were derived. That prevents the virus from making more viruses.'"

Comments

first post?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously though why wasnt this thought of this before?
It seems simple enough to figure out the RNA sequence of a virus, and then create a random RNA that matches parts of that RNA that do not occur in human transcription/translation services.
Granted the latter may be a bit difficult but that's what we have monkeys for... test and test again.
Because of high rate of mutation it may be a difficult for flu or the HIV but theoretically it should work.

wow, great, good job...

[Titan1080]

Now if they can find a cure for flesh eating bacteria, they'll be able to cure 8 people a year, instead of just 5... Seriously, work on a disease that is actually a threat, guys...