Research News

The Indian pharmaceutical sector would soon be showcasing new drugs for malaria, oste porosis and diabetes, Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan said. The candidate drugs are currently undergoing clinical trials, he said.

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Stempeutics Research, a part of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), has received process patent from the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) for its novel stem-cell based drug Stempeucel for the treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI), a progressive form of peripheral arterial disease.

Researchers studying the commonly used pain reliever acetaminophen or paracetamol have found that it has a previously unknown side effect: it blunts positive emotions. In the study, participants who took acetaminophen reported less strong emotions when they saw both very pleasant and very disturbing photos, when compared to those who took placebos.

Despite mutating, the ebola virus has not evolved to become deadlier since the first outbreak 40 years ago, scientists say. The findings suggest that the much higher death toll during the current outbreak, with the figure at nearly 10,500, is not due to mutations making the virus more deadly or more virulent.

Researchers have developed a quick-acting Ebola vaccine that is both safe and effective with a single dose against the strain of the virus that killed thousands of people in West Africa last year. “These findings may pave the way for the identification and manufacture of safer, single dose, high efficiency vaccines to combat current and future Ebola outbreaks,” said Thomas Geisbert, from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Women glow during pregnancy because they share the blood of their young foetus which has a rejuvenating effect on the mother which regenerates tissue and slow down the ageing process, according to a report. The oft-used phrase “pregnancy glow” seems to now have some basis in science because pregnancy helps regenerate tissue and slow down the ageing process. The effect occurs because of the shared blood between mother and child.

The government gave its approval for signing of an agreement with Mauritius on cooperation in traditional medicine systems and homoepathy. In a meeting, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for the memorandum of understanding between the two countries to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of traditional medicine including medicinal plants, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said told reporters.

A nanosensor can detect cancer from blood sample of a patient before initial symptoms appear, eliminating the need for an invasive biopsy. The sensor is "10 million times more effective" than traditional tests on patient blood samples, researchers said.

Australian scientists have discovered a novel way to prevent the spread of the dengue virus, a mosquitoborne deadly disease that currently has no approved vaccine. Researchers at the University of Melbourne along with international collaborators found a new way to block the dengue virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using the insect bacterium, Wolbachia, and have for the first time provided projections of its public health benefit.