IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers indentify great Rapamycin

IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers indentify great Rapamycin
Published at : 22 Mar 2021, 6:05 PM IST
Updated at : 6 Aug 2021, 6:00 PM IST

IISER Bhopal and University of Nebraska Medical Centre (UNMC, USA) identified ‘Rapamycin’ as a drug that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19.

Currently being used for patients having undergone organ transplantation and certain cancer patients, Rapamycin and its analogues are commonly available in India and abroad, say IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers.

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IISER Bhopal

In a peer-reviewed paper published recently in the reputed International Elsevier journal, Chemico Biological Interactions, IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers showed that the biochemical working of this drug molecule points to its promise in the treatment of COVID-19.

The paper elaborates on the rationale of repurposing this drug for treating COVID-19 patients.

Since the repurposed drug has gone through the clinical development process for the treatment of other diseases and has already been tested for toxicity, many steps in preclinical and early clinical development can be avoided and the the drug can be directly tested on COVID-19 subjects in phase-II trials, say IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers.

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Speaking about their work Dr. Amjad Hussain of IISER Bhopal said the development of a new drug is time-consuming and cannot be relied on as a solution in combating the immediate pandemic.

Drug repurposing is an attractive solution, wherein, an existing drug used to treat another related or unrelated ailment may be tested against COVID-19, said Dr. Amjad of IISER Bhopal.

IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers indentify great Rapamycin

An example of such a repurposed drug is Remdesivir. It was originally developed to treat Hepatitis C infection.

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The drug has shown limited success in treating COVID-19 patients.

Identification of more such drugs is important given the scale of the pandemic.

Rapamycin works differently from Remdesivir. While the latter targets the virus itself, this Rapamycin targets the host proteins and may resist the infection, say researchers from IISER Bhopal and UNMC.

Dr. Amjad of IISER Bhopal further said using repurposed drug such as Rapamycin that targets mTOR, a central molecule affecting multiple signalling pathways, may yield a significant clinical benefit for the treatment of COVID-19.

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One of the main challenges in developing antiviral drugs for COVID-19 has been the extensive mutations that the virus undergoes, which makes one antiviral drug ineffective against another mutant, and the development of drug-resistant strains, say researchers from IISER Bhopal and UNMC.

Treatment with drugs such as Rapamycin will not face that problem because it acts on host proteins and not on the virus.

IISER Bhopal

At a biochemical level, apart from inhibiting protein synthesis, Rapamycin has been known to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines.

It is known that severe COVID-19 infection results in an increase in inflammatory cytokines in a process known as the ‘cytokine storm’.

The inhibitory action of Rapamycin towards cytokines also makes it a promising treatment for COVID-19, say researchers from IISER Bhopal and UNMC.

There is another point to Rapamycin, say IISER Bhopal researcher.

Rapamycin is known to reduce obesity through various pathways and this can help in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 effects in obese people.

Also, Rapamycin is known to induce autophagy, a cellular recycling process that helps in eliminating the damaged proteins and delaying ageing, say IISER Bhopal and UNMC researchers.

Given the connection between age and COVID mortality, i.e. more fatalities with older people, the anti-ageing properties of Rapamycin can have protective effects against COVID-10-induced morbidities.

It is interesting to note that there is a worldwide scramble to find drugs for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, says IISER Bhopal researcher.

While the commencement of vaccination brings lots of hope and promises for the successful vaccination drive, the need for drugs to treat COVID-19 patients continues to be of paramount importance, not only for now but also for the future.

Worldwide, there are already well-known research groups that are pushing for the Rapamycin trials.
Recently another study got published in the prestigious journal The Lancet-Healthy Longevity that proposed the potential of Rapamycin analogues (rapalogs) to enhance resilience against SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduce the severity of COVID-19.

Although with a successful vaccination drive, the infection may be brought under control, it would likely not disappear.

Currently, there are no universally approved drugs, for the treatment of COVID-19.

About IISER Bhopal
Established by the Ministry of Education in 2008, IISER Bhopal is the youngest of the first five IISERs in India.

IISER is expanded into Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

In a decade, the Institute has received several distinctions, duly carving out its own position in the national and international arena.

With a vision to provide high quality education to the students and contribute to the society through its research, IISER Bhopal is the first IISER to have been declared by the Ministry of Education for project competition.

IISER Bhopal

Along with this, IISER Bhopal has gained rank 201 in the overall category of the QS Asia Ranking.

The Institute has also been ranked 26 (National Rank, out of 63 in the 1000 Institutes) in the Times Higher Education 2021 Rankings.

S.
S. Vishnu Sharma

S Vishnu Sharmaa now works with collegechalo.com in the news team. His work involves writing articles related to the education sector in India with a keen focus on higher education issues. Journalism has always been a passion for him. He has more than 10 years of enriching experience with various media organizations like Eenadu, Webdunia, News Today, Infodea. He also has a strong interest in writing about defence and railway related issues.

IIT Guwahati signs great MoU with Danfoss Industries

IIT Guwahati signs great MoU with Danfoss Industries
Published at : 1 Mar 2025, 6:50 PM IST
Updated at : 1 Mar 2025, 6:51 PM IST

IIT Guwahati signed an MoU with Danfoss Industries Private Limited on 27 February 2025.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during InvenTiv 2025, the Global Innovation Showcase hosted at IIT Madras.

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IIT Guwahati

Key areas for collaboration

The collaboration will drive research and development in several technology areas, including:

Ø Water Desalination Technologies

Ø Energy-efficient Industrial Heating and Cooling Solutions

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Ø Advanced Power Electronics and Drives

Ø High-pressure Pump Systems

Ø Waste Heat Utilisation and Campus Decarbonisation Solutions

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Ø Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Systems

Ø Multiphase Flow Studies

Ø AI-driven Process Optimisation and Advanced Thermal Simulations

CoE at IIT Guwahati

A Center of Excellence (CoE) – Danfoss Solutions will be established at IIT Guwahati to coordinate and streamline all collaborative projects under a unified research umbrella, fostering innovation and efficient project management.

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Opportunities

Additionally, the collaboration will also open new opportunities for internships, collaborative research projects, and training programs for students across B.Tech, M.Tech, MS, and PhD programs at IIT Guwahati.

Students will have the opportunity to work at Danfoss’s global facilities, gaining hands-on industrial exposure, with high-performing students eligible for Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs), say sources from IIT Guwahati.

Joint education program

Further, a joint educational program will be established between IIT Guwahati and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), in collaboration with Danfoss.

This program will provide students with international exposure, industry-relevant curricula, and opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, fostering cross-cultural learning and global research collaboration.

Director

Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, said this partnership with Danfoss is a step towards IIT Guwahati’s vision of fostering innovation through collaborative research and industry engagement.

By combining cutting-edge research at IIT Guwahati with Danfoss’s technological expertise, we aim to develop solutions addressing critical sustainability challenges while preparing future-ready talent, he said.

IIT Guwahati

This partnership aligns with Danfoss’s commitment to driving sustainable innovation and nurturing a talent pool equipped to address global challenges in energy efficiency, water management, and climate technologies, he said.

Industry-Academia collaboration

The MoU signing at InvenTiv 2025 was held in the presence of Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Government of India.

Dr. Majumdar emphasized the importance of fostering industry-academia collaborations to drive innovation, particularly in the context of sustainable development and regional growth in the North Eastern Region.

He commended the efforts of IIT Guwahati and Danfoss for spearheading research and educational partnerships that will contribute to both national technological advancement and regional development.

Duration

The MoU will remain in effect for five years, with the possibility of renewal and expansion to include emerging research areas such as digital transformation, advanced manufacturing, and smart infrastructure solutions.

About Danfoss

Danfoss Industries Private Limited, part of the globally renowned Danfoss Group, is a leader in climate and energy solutions.

It is recognised for its expertise in energy efficiency, advanced industrial systems, and sustainable technologies.

With a strong commitment to decarbonisation, digitalisation, and sustainability, Danfoss is at the forefront of developing technologies for a greener future.

IIT Guwahati

At present, the Institute has eleven departments, nine interdisciplinary academic centers and five schools.

They are covering all the major engineering, science, healthcare, management, and humanities disciplines, offering BTech, BDes, BSc(Hons), MA, MDes, MTech, MSc, MS(R), MBA and PhD programs.

The institute offers a residential campus to 455 faculty members and more than 8,600 students at present.

S.
S. Vishnu Sharma

S Vishnu Sharmaa now works with collegechalo.com in the news team. His work involves writing articles related to the education sector in India with a keen focus on higher education issues. Journalism has always been a passion for him. He has more than 10 years of enriching experience with various media organizations like Eenadu, Webdunia, News Today, Infodea. He also has a strong interest in writing about defence and railway related issues.



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