A drug commonly found in traditional Chinese medicines has been found to effectively treat Ebola virus.

U.S. and German researchers say calcium channel blocker Tetrandrine has the ability to constrict the Ebola virus inside a cell, preventing it from further infecting or damaging the cell.

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"We are very excited about the progress made in this study and the momentum it provides as scientists across the world vigorously search for effective vaccines and treatments against Ebola virus," virologist Robert Davey of Texas Biomedical Research Institute said in a statement.

The drug was seen to effectively block the virus from infecting lab mice.

Tetrandrine was also seen to have prevented the infection of human white blood cells on lab dishes. 

But researchers say more tests need to be done, such as study on monkeys, before the drug can be tested on humans.

"I am hopeful that the dose needed to control disease will be safe but we just have to do the work and find out," Davey added.

Davey hopes the drug could be used to treat people in two years.

The Ebola virus enters a cell by clinging onto proteins found in cell surface. 

Once the virus makes it inside the cell, it follows a route or a channel called the two pore channels (TPCs) that transport the virus to different cell compartments to complete the infection.

The drug works by blocking the channels that control the movement of the virus. 

Davey's team found that Tetrandrine was the most potent TPC blocker in mice.

"Starting Tetrandrine treatment soon after infection significantly enhanced the survival of mice without any detectable side effects ... when the treatment was started one day after virus challenge, half the mice survived," the report said. 

Davey's team added this was a significant indication that the drug is effective in treating Ebola in mice.

The drug has not been approved for use in humans except in China. 

They say more research is needed, noting that the dose given to mice could be toxic if administered to humans.

More than 9,400 deaths have been recorded since the Ebola began striking Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea last year. 

There is currently no approved vaccine or therapy for the deadly disease.

TagsEbola Virus, drug, Ebola treatment