title: Addressing Therapeutic Options for Ebola Virus Infection in Current and Future Outbreaks.
abstract: Ebola virus can cause severe hemorrhagic disease with high fatality rates. Currently, no specific therapeutic agent or vaccine has been approved for treatment and prevention of Ebola virus infection of humans. Although the number of Ebola cases has fallen in the last few weeks, multiple outbreaks of Ebola virus infection and the likelihood of future exposure highlight the need for development and rapid evaluation of pre- and postexposure treatments. Here, we briefly review the existing and future options for anti-Ebola therapy, based on the data coming from rare clinical reports, studies on animals, and results from in vitro models. We also project the mechanistic hypotheses of several potential drugs against Ebola virus, including small-molecule-based drugs, which are under development and being tested in animal models or in vitro using various cell types. Our paper discusses strategies toward identifying and testing anti-Ebola virus properties of known and medically approved drugs, especially those that can limit the pathological inflammatory response in Ebola patients and thereby provide protection from mortality. We underline the importance of developing combinational therapy for better treatment outcomes for Ebola patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA azizul.haque@dartmouth.edu.
authors.forename: Azizul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: University of Lille, Faculty of Medicine, CHRU Lille, Laboratory of Virology, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hober
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Paleopathologiques du Nord, Walincourt-Selvigny, France.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blondiaux
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000494:pharmacology; D000578:Amidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000736:Androstenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000494:pharmacology; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000578:Amidines; D000736:Androstenes; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001572:Benzofurans; C550936:FGI 103; D007106:Immune Sera; D063065:Organophosphonates; D011719:Pyrazines; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D013267:Stilbenes; C000594176:ZMapp; C006261:3-beta-(2-(diethylamino)ethoxy)androst-5-en-17-one; C525733:brincidofovir; D003596:Cytosine; C462182:favipiravir