Rome

LONDON (AP) — In the four decades since the Ebola virus was first identified in Africa, treatment hasn't changed much. There are no licensed drugs or vaccines for the deadly disease.

Some are being developed, but none have been rigorously tested in humans. One experimental treatment, though, was tried this week in an American aid worker sick with Ebola, according to the U.S-based group that she works for in Liberia.

Without a specific treatment, doctors and nurses focus on easing the disease's symptoms — fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea — and on keeping patients hydrated and comfortable.

The outbreak in three West African countries — Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — has sickened more than 1,300 people and more than 700 have died since March.

WHY ISN'T THERE A TREATMENT BY NOW?

For one thing, the Ebola virus is hard to work with. The virus doesn't grow well in petri dishes and experiments can only be done in the relatively few labs with the highest security measures.

And while Ebola is lethal, it's rare. Outbreaks are unpredictable, giving doctors few chances to test new treatments. While the current epidemic is the largest recorded, the number of people sickened by Ebola is small compared to the number killed by other diseases like malaria or dengue. Much of the funding for Ebola research is from governments that worry about the virus being used in a bioterror attack.

"It's not economically viable for any company to do this kind of research because they have stockholders to think about," said Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading in Britain.

WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE?

There are about a half dozen Ebola drugs and vaccines in development, several of which have received funding from the U.S. One drug developed by the U.S. Army has shown promising results when tested in monkeys.

"We think this may work because of the animal models but until you do the studies in humans, you just don't know," said Fred Hayden, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Virginia, who was not involved in the research.

While animal studies for vaccine candidates have been encouraging, it's unclear what dose humans would need.

A Canadian company, Tekmira, has a $140 million contract with the U.S. government to develop a Ebola vaccine. An early test of the shot in healthy humans was stopped recently after the Food and Drug Administration asked for more safety information.

SHOULD EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS BE USED NOW?

Scientists are split on whether or not it is a good idea to try experimental drugs and vaccines before they are approved but the prospect is being informally discussed.

"Given the prolonged and unprecedented nature of the epidemic, we need to carefully consider this," said Dr. Peter Piot, the co-discoverer of Ebola in 1976 and director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The World Health Organization has no plans to facilitate any clinical trials during this outbreak, spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

Other experts say it's unethical to use treatments or vaccines that haven't been properly tested, and warn the results could be disastrous.

"None of these drugs or vaccines are ready to be used in humans from a legal point of view," said Dr. Heinz Feldmann, chief of virology at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

It would be impossible to vaccinate or treat everyone in the region but if any tests do proceed, they would probably be focused on those at highest risk: health care workers.

The American woman who got the experimental drug in Liberia worked at a hospital where Ebola patients were treated. It's not known what kind of treatment she received.

If health care workers are treated, "We will have to explain why some people are getting the vaccine and others are not," Feldmann said, adding there are still vast areas of West African communities suspicious of Western aid workers and their treatments. "At the moment, it doesn't even look like the local population wants it."

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Online:

Ebola information: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/

WASHINGTON (AP) — Opponents of a plan to break up Washington's nearly 150-year-old Corcoran Gallery of Art presented two alternatives in court this week to preserve the independent museum and art school as a judge considers its proposed merger with two larger institutions.

The University of Maryland president and a leading Washington philanthropist described their past discussions with the Corcoran board about reinvigorating the financially struggling museum and college. They expressed willingness to restart talks to turn it around.

The Corcoran board, however, struck a deal this year to merge the art college into George Washington University and give the bulk of 17,000 artworks to the National Gallery of Art. The Corcoran's assets are estimated at $2 billion. The proposed merger has drawn attention because the Corcoran is one of the few independent art galleries in a city full of government-funded museums.

A judge must decide whether it's "impossible or impractical" to continue the Corcoran's 1869 deed of trust that established the museum and whether the merger proposal is the best alternative. Hearings will continue next week.

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh said he had no plans to intervene after his negotiations for a Corcoran partnership failed. But he testified he would be willing to make another proposal within 45 days that would maintain the Corcoran's independence. The university was prepared to invest $46 million for operations and renovation costs, and the Corcoran would become an affiliated professional art school.

Loh said he's trying to lift the arts within a major research university and could help the Corcoran recruit more students.

"The whole idea is to keep the gallery and the college together. It is the combining of culture and education that makes it so special," Loh said. "We don't want a takeover. We already have a liberal arts program."

Wayne Reynolds, a leading Washington philanthropist, also laid out an alternative. He previously led a $54 million campaign to turn around Ford's Theatre and said he sees similar potential in the museum next to the White House that was founded by William W. Corcoran as a place to "encourage American genius." Reynolds said he could marshal dozens of major donors to save the Corcoran and make it a world-class center for creativity in art and technology.

"People want to be part of something that's special, that's bigger than themselves," Reynolds said, later mentioning 23 potential alternate trustees who he said would help him turn the Corcoran around. "It's all about vision and leadership."

However, Reynolds testified that in dealing with the Corcoran over the past two years, he observed a chaotic "goat rodeo" behind the scenes. In late 2012, he said Corcoran officials asked him to become their next chairman then rebuffed his interest, canceled meetings and blocked trustees from talking with him.

A key sticking point has been the notion of selling art to fund museum operations. Corcoran Chairman Harry Hopper called that "the third rail of American art" because it could endanger the museum's accreditation. Reynolds said he proposed selling some art and putting the focus on the college instead. Artworks kept in storage could be sold, he said, in order to buy contemporary art that people want to see.

What the Corcoran needs most is vision for its purpose and future in order to raise money and survive, said Paul Johnson, an expert in museum fundraising at the consulting firm Alexander Haas. He testified that Hopper's approach had failed.

"His vision of the Corcoran is to destroy the Corcoran," Johnson said. "This board has given up."

Hopper, who has led the Corcoran since 2009, testified that he looked hard for options after years of financial troubles. The museum had a failed campaign in the early 2000s to raise $160 million for an addition designed by Frank Gehry and later struggled during the nation's financial crisis, he said.

A 2011 consultant's report found the Corcoran "has struggled to find a successful business model for 40 years or more." It also faces mounting renovation needs. Some estimates surpass $100 million.

Under the current merger plan, the Corcoran would give at least $35 million from recently sold art to George Washington University to fund initial building renovations. The university would fund further renovations over time. The National Gallery of Art would run exhibit programs in a smaller gallery space.

George Washington University President Steven Knapp said the deal saves the Corcoran legacy and is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something truly powerful" with a new model for arts education.

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