Covid-19 Vaccine: First Steps Taken

A home-grown vaccine for COVID-19 could take around 12 to 18 months. Scientists at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, claim to have 11 coronavirus isolates and sequenced genomes of 10 already. Raman R. Gangakhedkar of Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) recently said that the isolation of the virus will lead to understanding the evolution of the virus in India and its genetic affinity with isolates from other countries. A home-grown vaccine could be designed based on the research.

- V. Kumara Swamy

Diabetes Drug May Help Treat Breast Cancer

In a new study, researchers treated certain types of breast cancer cells in the lab with metformin, a medication used to help lower the blood sugar levels of people with type 2 diabetes. With less sugar to feed on, these cells developed a sugar ‘addiction,’ which made them work harder to break down the sugar. That extra effort, in turn, made the cancer more vulnerable to treatment with anticancer drugs. Researchers found that when metformin was combined with a cancer treatment, the cancer cells’ growth slowed by 76 per cent. This new approach is particularly promising for treating triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that doesn’t respond well to existing treatments.

Many Heart Procedures Are Unnecessary