Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (ABUS)

[MinnieM]

Thanks for posting... that part at the end is interesting and related to Tekmira. I didn't catch it earlier. ;)

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/14502/20150504/curing-ebola-promising-new-drug-works.htm

Enter: A new generation of "lipid nanoparticle therapeutic treatements"
A team led by Thomas Geisbert at the University of Texas, in collaboration with Tekmira Pharmaceuticals in Vancouver, Canada, have been developing therapies that can target specific strains of the Ebola virus.

This is achieved through the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) - short pieces of RNA designed to interrupt the production of key proteins crucial for the virus' survival. And because these RNA pieces fit into Ebola cells like a key in a lock, patients don't have to worry about the inhibitors also disrupting processes in any "friendly" cells. Most importantly, these siRNAs can be redesigned as the Ebola virus evolves, keeping the treatment relevant from generation-to-generation.

And while that certainly sounds effective, the question remains: does really it work? According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, the answer you're looking for is a resounding "yes" - at least for monkeys.

"The candidate treatment was rapidly adapted to target the Makona outbreak strain of Ebola virus," Geisbert explained in a recent release. "We were able to protect all of our nonhuman primates against a lethal Makona Ebola infection when treatment began 3 days following infection."
These promising results have put the siRNA approach on a fast-track for treatment in humans, with patients in Sierra Leone - a country that still reports nine confirmed Ebola cases a week - taking part in an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial.