A single protein could hold the key to treatments for a range of diseases, including Ebola and some other viral and bacterial infections and cancers, researchers claimed last night.
Researchers say a combination of existing drugs – which can include Viagra – has been found to attack the protein GRP78.
In the combination Viagra – or Cialis – are combined with a newer drug, OSU-03012.
The treatment was first tested on cancer cells in the laboratory but researchers have now tried it – in laboratory conditions – on flu, Ebola, hepatitis, E.Coli, MRSA, mumps, measles and a range of other diseases.
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA, say the protein is known as a “chaperone” and is responsible for helping create other proteins and for keeping them active in the correct shape.
They say the drug combination will also attack other chaperones.
They have reported their findings in the Journal of Cellular Physiology.
They say it has already proved effective against cancer in laboratory mice – and has not harmed healthy organs.
Researcher Professor Paul Dent said: "The findings open an avenue of being able to treat viral infections, infections that certainly most people would say we’ll never be able to treat; they prove that GRP78 is a druggable target to stop viruses from reproducing and spreading.
“And in the case of bacteria, we have a new antibiotic target, Dna K, that if we’re careful and only use the OSU drug in hospitals, we’ve got something that can help to treat the superbugs."
Journal of Cellular Physiology December 2014 [abstract]
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