TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A team of Florida State University researchers is behind a new discovery in treating the Zika virus.
Researchers say the findings are very encouraging, but a lot of work still needs to be done before people can get these tested drugs that stop the virus.
Researchers from FSU, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health have found existing drugs that can stop Zika from spreading in the body and from damaging fetal brain cells.
One of the drugs is already on the market to treat tapeworm, though tests are still needed to find the right treatment regimen.
Researchers say they've screened 6,000 compounds to find ones that could stop Zika. FSU grad student Emily Lee says there's a reason why the team looked at current drugs rather than find new ones.
"A lot of these drugs have already been tested for the toxicity they present in people, and so, sometimes, it allows you to bypass phase 1 clinical trials, and you also have a lot more information about what side effects you might get from giving these drugs to people."
The research team says one of the things keeping the drugs on hold is figuring out how they work in an actual human body.
So far, the tests have been done in what's called "cell culture." The next step is to test the drugs in animals that have the Zika virus.
To read the full report, visit Nature Medicine's website here.
