Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that can cause serious harm to the spinal cord and brain. The symptoms include restricted movement and profound fatigue. It usually affects people between the ages of 20 to 50. The disease harms a fatty membrane, referred to as myelin, which safeguards nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Tim Coetzee, PhD, chief research officer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society says that new research has opened up opportunities for treatment at an early stage with therapies that modify the disease.
Researchers and neurologists are presently working on the best MS medications available. Jeffrey K. Huang, PhD, a lead researcher of the drug at the MS Society Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair, University of Cambridge, England says that a new treatment allows the Myelin Sheath Invigorate with the help of synthetic chemicals that activate Retinoid Acid Receptor (RXR) within the brainstem cells of an adult. RXR assists the transformation of adult stem cells into oligodendrocytes-cells that produce myelin.
Discovery of Ebola Protein could Lead to Drug Development
Recently, Africa has been plagued by the deadly Ebola virus. There has been very little scientific research breakthrough with researchers trying to unravel the mystery behind this disease. However, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Washington University in St. Louis may be able to crack the code on how this virus destroys the immune system and find out ways to prevent the disease.
The team sheds light on a unique mechanism of the Ebola virus that obstructs the efforts by interferons-protective proteins- to stop the virus from infecting the cells of the body. Dr. Christopher Basler at the Ichan School of Medicine states that these details can be the foundation to the development of the drug that can combat the Ebola virus.
New Ebola Drug Cures Monkeys in Clinical Trial
The cure for the fatal Ebola virus may finally have just been discovered. Recently, there has been reports by scientists ofEbola-infected monkeys being completely cured. The medication, Zmapp, is at present being used to treat patients infected with the virus including William Pooley-a British nurse-who is currently being treated at London-based Royal Free hospital after contracting the disease in Sierra Leone.
Around 18 monkeys infected with Ebola were found to be totally cured after being administered ZMapp. The results, according to experts, were heavily encouraging. Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, stated that these trials now have a strong backing and should be used in humans. On the other hand, it should be noted that two patients treated with the drug had died, but it may have been because the drug was administered too late for it to be effective.
New Drug could Treat Most Aggressive Form of Lung Cancer
Scientists have found a new drug that could possibly treat small cell lung cancer, the most destructive form of the disease. Currently, this drug is undergoing clinical trials and could potentially be used to treat patients who have tumours that are not affected by chemotherapy treatment. The findings were published in the Clinical Cancer Research and could help in finding out those patients who have greater chances to respond to the treatment. The medication works by analyzing energy production in cancer cells as a means to prohibit tumour growth.
Professor Caroline Dive, the leader of the research, said that small cell lung cancer has a dim prognosis and there has not been any significant breakthrough in its treatment. The drug named AZD3965 – has not yet been experimented with in small cell lung cancer.
The quality of life has undoubtedly become rich with these major scientific breakthroughs, however; still further research and testing needs to be done before these findings can ever be implemented for the well-being of society.