coronavirus

Researchers reveal key protein structure in COVID-19 virus

New Delhi: A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi), led by Dr. Rajanish Giri, Assistant Professor, School of Basic Sciences, have elucidated the part of structure of a key protein in the COVID-19 virus, which helps in understanding its mode of action, its role in the spread and severity of the disease and development of antiviral therapeutics.  Current COVID-19 treatments simply manage symptoms while the body fights off the infection with its immune defence system. There are, as yet, no confirmed antiviral drugs that can stop the virus from replicating. One route to neutralising…
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Researchers identify drug that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19

New Delhi: Currently, there are no universally approved drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. There is a worldwide scramble to find drugs for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal and the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Nebraska, (UNMC), USA have identified Rapamycinas a potential drug that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19. Rapamycin used to prevent organ rejection after transplants and in cancer treatment, was found to have anti-aging effect and the potential to treat COVID-19 patients, researchers said. Currently being used for patients having undergone organ transplantation and…
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Consortium launched to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2 virus

Consortium launched to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2 virus

New Delhi (India Science Wire): The Government of India has launched a Consortium comprising 10 research laboratories from different parts of the country to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a regular basis. Called Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG), it will ascertain the status of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01) in the country, establish a sentinel surveillance for early detection of genomic variants with public health implication, and determine the genomic variants in unusual events/trends such as super-spreader events, high mortality/morbidity trend areas etc. The consortia comprised of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute…
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