Ebola virus particle breaking through a drug discovery maze

Ebola's Silent Battle: Unveiling the Latest Drug Discovery Approaches

Samir D’Costa in Health & Wellness November 2025 • 4 min read.

"A comprehensive look into contemporary strategies and platforms in the fight against Ebola, moving beyond traditional methods."

Ebola virus disease (EVD) presents a formidable threat to global health security. Its high fatality rate and potential to destabilize communities require urgent and innovative solutions. The 2014-2015 West Africa outbreak was a stark reminder of the virus's devastating impact, infecting nearly 30,000 people and causing over 11,000 deaths. Although vaccines are under trial, the current state of therapeutic options remains limited, underscoring the critical need for effective antiviral drugs.

Traditionally, treatment has focused on supportive care, such as managing pain, dehydration, and oxygen levels. However, this approach only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause of the disease. To combat Ebola effectively, researchers are exploring various strategies, including identifying new drug targets, repurposing existing medications, and developing novel platforms for drug discovery.

This article delves into the most promising contemporary approaches and platforms driving anti-Ebola drug discovery. It examines the viral targets, mechanisms of action, and the role of cutting-edge technologies in shaping the future of Ebola therapeutics. By understanding these advancements, we can better appreciate the progress being made in tackling this deadly virus.

Why Is Ebola Such a Tough Target?

Ebola virus particle breaking through a drug discovery maze

Understanding the biology of Ebola is paramount to successful drug discovery. The Ebola virus (EBOV) is a zoonotic disease characterized by a high fatality rate. Infection in humans manifests as fever, muscle pain, headaches, gastrointestinal distress, and a distinctive rash. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials.

Ebola's genome, composed of 19 kb of non-segmented negative-sense ssRNA, encodes seven structural proteins. These proteins, including NP, VP35, VP40, GP, VP30, VP24, and L, are essential for the virus's replication cycle. The virus enters cells through a process called macropinocytosis, triggered by the binding of the viral glycoprotein (GP) to cell surface receptors.

Unique Viral Components: Ebola’s viral components are very different from any known host factors, which is a huge opportunity to come up with EBOV-specific drugs.
Fusion Interaction: EBOV also employs a fusion interaction of its GP with the endosome to make its way out of the late endosomes.
Ebola RdRp: One of the best antiviral drug targets is Ebola RdRp (RNA-dependant-RNA polymerase).

The replication cycle involves viral genome replication, where the RdRP initiates the synthesis of complementary antigenomes (+ssRNA). These antigenomes serve as templates for progeny genomes. This complex process presents several potential targets for antiviral interventions. Because these viral components are distinct from human homologs, they offer opportunities for developing drugs with high specificity and minimal side effects.

What's Next in the Fight Against Ebola?

Controlling Ebola infection remains a significant global health challenge. While the development of vaccines offers hope, the availability of effective therapeutic drugs is crucial. The three-dimensional cell/tissue culture systems could help expose more therapeutic avenues, as they have with the Zika virus. To accelerate the discovery pipeline and ensure preparedness, there is an urgent need for additional BSL4 facilities and cooperation between academia, industry, and global health organizations. Approved drugs are an immediately actionable class of drugs that can be repurposed for treatment of human EBOV infections.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00285, Alternate LINK

Title: Contemporary Anti-Ebola Drug Discovery Approaches And Platforms

Subject: Infectious Diseases

Journal: ACS Infectious Diseases

Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Authors: Elena K. Schneider-Futschik, Daniel Hoyer, Alexander A. Khromykh, Jonathan B. Baell, Glenn A. Marsh, Mark A. Baker, Jian Li, Tony Velkov

Published: 2018-12-05

Everything You Need To Know

Why is finding effective drug treatments for Ebola so challenging?

Ebola presents a tough target due to its unique viral components, distinct from any known host factors, offering opportunities for EBOV-specific drugs. The virus employs a fusion interaction of its GP with the endosome to escape late endosomes. Also, the Ebola RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) stands out as one of the best antiviral drug targets. This enzyme is crucial for viral replication, initiating the synthesis of complementary antigenomes (+ssRNA), which then serve as templates for progeny genomes. Since these viral components differ from human homologs, drugs can be developed with high specificity and minimal side effects.

What has been the traditional approach to treating Ebola, and why is it insufficient?

Traditional Ebola treatment has primarily focused on supportive care, addressing symptoms such as managing pain, dehydration, and maintaining oxygen levels. However, this approach does not target the root cause of the disease. Current research is exploring strategies like identifying new drug targets, repurposing existing medications, and developing novel platforms for drug discovery to combat Ebola more effectively.

Which specific viral proteins are being targeted for the development of anti-Ebola drugs?

Several viral proteins present potential targets for anti-Ebola drugs. These include NP, VP35, VP40, GP, VP30, VP24, and L, which are all essential for the virus's replication cycle. Among these, Ebola RdRp (RNA-dependent RNA polymerase) is considered one of the most promising targets, as it is critical for viral genome replication. The viral glycoprotein (GP) is also a target, involved in the virus's entry into cells through macropinocytosis.

Beyond vaccines, what are the crucial next steps needed to combat Ebola effectively?

The next steps in the fight against Ebola involve a multi-pronged approach. Development and deployment of vaccines offer hope, but equally crucial is the availability of effective therapeutic drugs. Three-dimensional cell/tissue culture systems, like those used with the Zika virus, could reveal additional therapeutic avenues. Furthermore, accelerating the drug discovery pipeline requires more BSL4 facilities and greater cooperation between academia, industry, and global health organizations. Repurposing already approved drugs for human EBOV infections is also an immediately actionable strategy.

How does the Ebola virus enter cells and what role does the viral glycoprotein (GP) play in this process?

Ebola utilizes macropinocytosis, where the viral glycoprotein (GP) binds to cell surface receptors, triggering the virus's entry into the cell. After entry, Ebola employs a fusion interaction of its GP with the endosome to escape from the late endosomes, allowing the virus to continue its replication cycle. Understanding these specific mechanisms can help design targeted antiviral therapies to disrupt the virus's ability to infect cells. However, the process of replication and transcription of the virus RNA once inside the cell is also a good target.