Researchers at UVA School of Medicine have determined the shape and structure of a key element of the deadly Ebola virus, a discovery that will act as a road map for the development of drugs to treat or prevent infection. With a better understanding of the molecular biology of the virus, researchers are closer to being able to stop it.
“This provides us with clues about how to interfere with the process of infection, as well as replication of the virus, which can, in turn, lead to discovery of new drugs and therapies that would take care of the disease,” explains Zygmunt S. Derewenda, PhD, of the UVA Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics.