Strategies for the Development of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Ebola Viral Infection

Abstract

The recent outbreak of Ebola viral disease (EVD) in West Africa reminded us that an effective anti-viral treatment still does not exist, despite the significant progress that has recently been made in understanding biology and pathology of this lethal disease. Currently, there are no approved vaccine and/or prophylactic medication for the treatment of EVD in the market. However, the serious pandemic potential of EVD mobilized research teams in the academy and the pharmaceutical industry in the effort to find an Ebola cure as fast as possible. In this chapter, we are giving the condensed review of different approaches and strategies in search of a drug against Ebola. We have been focusing on the review of the targets that could be used for in silico, in vitro, and/or in vivo drug design of compounds that interact with the targets in different phases of the Ebola virus life cycle.

Identification of Kiwellin-like Proteins in Fruits by Using In Silico Tools

“…From the outputs of this paper and also published papers in this field, it is most likely to be said that in silico tools will be of great importance in the life sciences. 3,7,28,30,31 In conclusion, kiwellin like proteins can be existed in not only kiwi but also in different fruits. By using in silico tools, it is more easier to define possible allergen proteins.…”

Antiviral Agents Against Ebola Virus Infection: Repositioning Old Drugs and Finding Novel Small Molecules

“…Only a recent work provided the evidence that the binding between VP24 and KPNA may be druggable. 157 Three small molecules extracted from Indian medicinal plants, limonin (Fig. 7), has been identified that blocks the VP24-KPNA5 interaction at low micromolar range in vitro (EC 50 ¼ 9 μM).…”