Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Nano Silver – WSJ

[R]ecently, the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets reported that President ‘Goodluck Jonathan’ of Nigeria is considering using Nano Silver to combat the growing Ebola threat.

While it’s understandable that people in Nigeria are terrified of Ebola within their borders, it is unknown whether or not Nano Silver will stop Ebola from infecting or reduce its pathogenicity. Nano Silver is an antimicrobial agent that has been shown to be an effective treatment against E. coli, S. aureus, and even the HIV-1 virus, but I can find no studies that show it is effective against a filovirus (HIV is a retrovirus).

Ebola infects endothelial cells by tricking the immune system into helping it lock onto the endothelial cell’s outer membrane, and it further tricks the human immune system by sending out short glycoproteins (sGPs) that create what’s called a ‘cytokine storm’ to throw the body into chaos.  Think of these sGPs as similar to the ‘counter-measures’ used by submarines against torpedoes.

Terrified people want their leaders to ‘do something’, so this inexpensive ‘fix’ will likely be welcomed with open arms and mouths (ready to gobble up meds or take injections). Each person is a volunteer in a massive in vivo experimental trial.

I would love it if this ‘simple’ remedy works.  Let’s pray it does.

Read the entire WSJ report here: Ebola Virus: Nigerian Patients to Be Given Experimental Drug – WSJ.