Research News

An antidepressant and a heart drug approved for use in humans may also help treat the deadly Ebola disease, a new study in mice suggests. Researchers screened about 2,600 compounds for their ability to hinder Ebola's activity, and identified 30 drugs that were effective against the virus in a lab dish. Two of the drugs — the antidepressant sertraline and a heart drug called bepridil - appeared particularly promising for their action against Ebola. The drugs appear to inhibit Ebola infection by preventing the genetic material of the virus from getting inside the host's cells.

Cinnamaldehyde, chemical constituent of  cinnamon has distinctive flavor and smell. Associate Professor Georg Wondrak, and Professor Donna Zhang, at the University of Arizona recently completed a study in which they proved that adding cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and smell, to the diet of mice protected the mice against colorectal cancer. In response to cinnamaldehyde, the mice's cells had acquired the ability to protect themselves against exposure to a carcinogen through detoxification and repair.

Researchers have successfully engineered E coli bacteria to produce new forms of antibiotics — including three that show promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria. Blaine A Pfeifer, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering in the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been studying how to engineer Escherichia coli (E coli) to generate new varieties of erythromycin, a popular antibiotic.

Memories that are 'lost' as a result of traumatic injury, stress or diseases such as Alzheimer's can be recalled by activating brain cells with light, MIT scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have found. Researchers were able to reactivate memories that could not otherwise be retrieved, using a technology known as optogenetics.

Prognosis for breast cancer is relatively good when detected in its early stages, metastatic disease is the cause of 90 percent of all cancer-related deaths. Breast cancer patients with high levels of the protein activin-like receptor kinase (ALK1) in the blood vessels of their tumors were more likely to develop metastatic disease, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Acute myeloid leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects immature blood cell growth.It is fatal within five years for 90% of seniors over 65 years of age. Adding University of Waterloo scientists have found that the nutritious fruit may hold the key to beating deadly leukemia. They have discovered a lipid in avocados that combats AML by targeting the root of the disease - leukemia stem cells. The research is published in the Cancer Research.

A Study says, Peanuts can enhance your lifespan and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter.  The effects are equal in men and women. Nut consumption was assessed by asking about portion size and frequency of intake of peanuts, other nuts (tree nuts) and peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who do not consume nuts or peanuts, the study said. The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.