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Liverpool researchers have made a breakthrough that could lead to a cure being developed for the ebola virus which is currently sweeping through West Africa.

Experts at the University of Liverpool have stumbled across an existing drug – used for severe heart disease – which could be adapted to fight the deadly virus.

A team from the UK’s Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging Infections, based at the University of Liverpool’ Institute of Infection and Global Health, which has been investigating new ways to treat ebola is behind the move which comes at a time when the number of people thought to be infected by the virus has passed more than 4,000.

More than 2,000 people have died.

In collaboration with Public Health England, the team have been looking at how Ebola virus hijacks the proteins inside cells and trying to find ways of stopping this from happening.

Their work led them to look at a protein called VP24 which disrupts the body’s ability to fight the virus.

From there they looked at whether any existing drugs already block the function of this particular protein and found ouabain – a heart drug which when administered can reduce the virus’ replication.

Further testing needs to be done but as the drug is already in use a lot of the work to test whether it is safe for humans has been done, potentially speeding up time it could take to get it to patients in need.

The study was led by Professor Julian Hiscox from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health and Professor Roger Hewson at Public Health England.

Prof Hiscox said: “This study shows how Ebola virus disrupts damages the immune system. Intriguingly we showed that drugs which are already available could be used as anti-viral drugs against ebola. This could speed up the availability of new treatments.”

The UK’s Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging Infections, funded with £4m Government money, only opened in April 2014.

Professor Tom Solomon, director of the health protection research unit, said: “This is a fantastic piece of work by the Liverpool team, in collaboration with colleagues. It may be an important step to help us tackle this devastating disease which is spreading across West Africa”.

The study used specialist facilities which allowed them to work with the ebola virus safely, under conditions of “high containment”. Following a surge of new cases in Liberia, World Health Organisation figures say more than 4,200 people are now believed to be infected. Thousands more are expected to be hit.