Photo: iStockphotoDehradun: Scientists at IIT-Roorkee have found that a commonly used deworming drug has anti-viral properties and could lead to new therapies against chikungunya—a deadly, mosquito-borne disease. Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral drugs available to cure chikungunya, and the treatment is focussed on relieving the symptoms associated with the infection. Scientists, using their expertise in virology and structure biology, discovered antiviral potential of piperazine and determined the mechanism of inhibition of chikungunya virus. The molecular details revealed in the study can be further utilised to design piperazine derivative drugs that are more potent and aggressive to fight chikungunya virus, Tomar said. Inhibiting the pocket prevents budding and spread of the virus and can help in treating the virus effectively using existing drugs,” Tomar said.

Source: Mint October 06, 2017 07:41 UTC