The Rapid City Journal had a story in the Sunday October 19, 2014 issue. It was followed a front-page headline, "Firm develops Ebola treatment". You can read the story online (don't know for how long however). Click on RC JOURNAL ImmutriX Therapeutics.
If you read the link I posted here a few days ago, you are already aware that the way Ebola kills has recently been determined. The products from Ebola virus cause human resistance system to go into wild reaction. This is mentioned in the RC Journal story too. Here is the link again on how your immune system and Ebola can destroy your body. The Rapid City firm thinks it may have developed a blood filter which can aid victims of Ebola by removing the destructive blood contaminants resulting from systemic inflamation response syndrome.
The Rapid City Journal story is based on information from Jeff Barnes, VP of development for ImmutriX. and Immutrix founder, president, and CEO Carol A. Rae. They say the firm has spent years researching ways to remove pro-infamatory mediators from blood. This research was not done because of stimulus from Ebola, but other diseases that also cause a flood of enzymes and proteins that overwhelm the body and its organs.
Rae says the company has patents, but their blood cleansing system has not yet been tested in humans. It has however already worked in animals. The company has submitted its technology to The Grand Ebola Challenge and is hoping for cooperation from other government agencies. This may be a gift the company can give to victims of Ebola, but others will have to administer it and provide the training and hardware.
I hope this isn't literally a (blood) pipe dream and the company is on to something. This may be good for South Dakota and the world for that matter. I haven't yet found links to the company however. Immutrix did get a grant from Proof of Concept. This link appears to be from Immutrix--- More Scientific Explanation--Immutrix Absorbents in Ebola Treatment.
***Stay tuned...I may find more on this in the following days-- Doug Wiken
Comments