Research at the Advanced Photon Source Leads to New Ebola Drug
12/09/2019
The ability to examine how specific antibodies react can lead to treatments for deadly diseases and often depends on determining how proteins in our bodies behave. Research at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source enables these insights and has led to the development of a promising drug for Ebola. Using specialized beamlines, researchers revealed how two human antibodies were able to neutralize the virus by examining single-crystal samples of a complex combining the Ebola protein with the protective antibodies. A drug based on one of these antibodies proved remarkably effective during a recent Ebola outbreak and clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Related Links
- BER Resource: Structural Biology Center
- Feature Story: The ability to examine how specific antibodies react with the Ebola virus has led to the development of a promising drug with far higher survival rates
References
Misasi, J., et al. 2016. “Structural and Molecular Basis for Ebola Virus Neutralization by Protective Human Antibodies,” Science 351(6279), 1343–46. [DOI:10.1126/science.aad6117]