Scientists from University of the Punjab, Lahore Design Potential Therapeutic Drug Against Coronavirus

Scientists across the globe are rushing to find inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. To enter human lung cells, this virus uses its S protein which binds with the ACE2 receptor present on the surface of certain human cells. This attachment allows the virus to enter the host cell and make more viruses, which infect other cells and lead to a severe form of the disease. Many researchers have been searching for drugs that can block this attachment to prevent the virus entry into host cells. Some researchers are using computer-assisted identification of promising drugs before conducting actual experiments in the lab, while some are focusing on drug repurposing.

In hopes of developing a possible treatment for COVID-19, Dr. Abdul Basit and his teammates from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore have designed a peptide which is a truncated form of human ACE2, which they believe may block SARS-CoV-2's ability to enter human cells very efficiently. The potential drug is a 100 amino acid fragment that mimics human ACE2. In their recently published article “Truncated Human Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2: A Potential Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein and Potent COVID-19 Therapeutic Agent,” they have shown that the peptide carries all of the binding residues required for attachment to the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers have shown that their new peptide can bind to the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 with several times higher binding affinity than the receptor on human cells, thus potentially disarming it.

“We have a lead peptide that we urgently need to experimentally test its inhibitory effect against COVID-19,” says Dr. Shafiq Ur Rehman, an assistant professor of virology, who is leading the research team.

Pakistani researchers are working very hard on different aspects of the coronavirus outbreak to find the treatment and cure for COVID-19.

Test Kit Developed That Can Detect Coronavirus Infection in Just 10 Minutes

March 19, 2020

NAYSPAK

Introduction

The Test Kit 2019-nCOV Detection (Professional IgM & IgG Rapid Screening Kit) is a lateral flow colloidal gold immunoassay for the qualitative detection of the new Coronavirus, 2019-nCOV or COVID-19, or SARS-COV-2, IgM and IgG antibody in human whole blood, plasma, or serum.

2019-nCOV is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The kit developed by scientists in Hong Kong can detect the infection within 10 minutes and with 96% accuracy.

Infected people may develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. A sore throat, runny nose, or sneezing is less common. While the majority of cases result in pneumonia and multi-organ failure. The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms is generally between 2 to 14 days. This kit can be used for testing on the 2nd day of having the above symptoms and can be an ideal tool for massive screening purposes as it requires minimal trained manpower and can be used similarly to the routine diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C.

How it Works

The screening kit contains two colloidal gold-labeled recombinant novel coronavirus antigens and quality control antibody colloidal gold markers, detection lines (T lines), and one quality control line (C) fixed on a nitrocellulose membrane.

IgM is fixed with monoclonal anti-human IgM antibody for detecting the novel coronavirus IgM antibody. IgG is fixed with monoclonal anti-human IgG antibody for detecting the novel coronavirus IgG antibody. The quality control antibody is fixed on the C line. To run the test, simply extract a few drops of blood with a dropper after puncturing the finger with a lancet, add the blood into the kit along with 2-4 drops of dilution buffer. You can see the results within 10 minutes, and no specific equipment is required.

How You Can Get This Kit in Pakistan

If you need this kit in Pakistan, you can contact Mr. Asmat Asar (Trans Continental Pharma) as they have sole distribution rights for this product in Pakistan. +92 300 9596006

Although this is a rapid screening test, the gold standard test for the diagnosis of Coronavirus is PCR. We will try to share the details of rapid point-of-care PCR tests soon.

12 Common Causes of Nausea after Eating

October 28, 2018

NAYSPAK

There are so many people who feel nausea after eating. It gives you a strange feeling and disturbs your routine practice. Some of the main causes of nausea are the following:

• Neurological problem
• Hormonal issue
• Diabetes
• Gall Bladder disease
• Stomach bug
• Food poisoning
• Motion Sickness
• Overeating
• Person’s medications
• Diet (rich in high fats and spices)
• Ulcer
• Pain (Intense pain in the body can also cause nausea)

If you feel nausea and especially if you feel it again and again, you should consult your gastroenterologist who will thoroughly investigate the reason and will recommend food and medicine accordingly.

We wish you a happy and healthy life.

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Science Club in Schools of Pakistan

October 6, 2018

NAYSPAK

Pakistan needs more people in science so they can contribute to the success of the country. The traditional way of teaching and learning in schools is based on a rote system which needs to be changed if we are to prepare our students for the 21st century. How can we do that? One option is to change the education system so students can learn by doing and solve real-life problems. By solving simple real-life problems in school, they will be better prepared to tackle complex problems in universities and professional life.

Schools (both government and private) can establish small “Science Clubs” to conduct various scientific activities and encourage students to be more innovative.

Setting Up a Science Club

To set up a Science Club for students in grades 6-10, consider the following:

• A hall with health and safety precautions, equipped with necessary tables and chairs (a classroom can also be used as a Science Club if there is no dedicated hall).
• A projector
• White/blackboard
• A microscope
• Arts and crafts facilities
• Printing facility (printer)
• Basic lab equipment/containers (flasks, beakers, cylinders, test tubes, test tube racks and holders, balance, pH meter, magnet, etc.), preferably made of plastic.
• The club could plan a theme (microscopic world, structure of cell, electricity generation, etc.) and plan activities accordingly.

Structure

The Science Club should have the following structure:

• An adviser (Science Teacher) (preferably trained in science club management)
• President (Active science student)
• Vice President
• Team members (preferably from the same class or different classes)

This team will plan and execute various scientific activities in the school based on the availability of equipment or specific themes.

Note: The school can have just an adviser and team if the president and vice president positions are skipped. It is advisable for the adviser to receive training on managing a science club and running activities.

Activities

The Science Club can plan the following activities:

• Organize lectures, seminars, symposia, workshops, etc.
• Hold science exhibitions and fairs
• Participate in science fairs
• Celebrate the birthdays of eminent scientists (e.g., Dr. Atta ur Rehman, Dr. A.Q. Khan, Einstein, etc.)
• Arrange visits to science museums, research institutes, and universities
• Organize industrial visits
• Develop a garden in the school
• Display science news and discoveries
• Prepare science models
• Read scientific literature
• Screen science movies
• Invite scientists to the science club

Establishing Science Clubs in schools will make them more innovative and help solve real-life problems more effectively. This will not only improve the innovative ranking of the country but also enhance the economy of Pakistan. (Our target for 2019 is to establish Science Clubs in 100 schools, in shaa Allah.)

Please share your comments and suggestions as well as your experience after establishing a Science Club in your school.

10 Common Complications of Diabetes

October 2, 2018

NAYSPAK

Diabetes has become a very common health problem worldwide due to drastic changes in our lifestyle, such as lack of exercise, consuming junk food, soft drinks, and sugary beverages. According to a recent National Diabetes Survey by the Pakistan Health Research Commission (PHRC), around 26.3% of the adult population in Pakistan is suffering from diabetes.

Below is a list of the most common health conditions caused by diabetes, along with their explanations to help you better understand and manage the condition:

1. Thirsty Feeling

To eliminate excess sugar, your body draws water from its tissues. This increased need for fluid sends signals to your brain that you need more water, resulting in thirst.

2. Dry Mouth

Your mouth may become dry and cracked due to fluid loss as your body manages high sugar levels. This can make you more prone to infections, swollen gums, and white patches on your tongue.

3. Skin Problems

High blood sugar levels cause the body to draw water from organs, including the skin, leading to dry, itchy, and cracked skin, particularly on legs, elbows, feet, and hands. This can also damage nerves, causing diabetic neuropathy.

4. Vision Problems

High sugar levels may pull fluid from the lenses in your eyes, making it harder to focus. Additionally, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels in the retina, potentially causing long-term vision loss or blindness.

5. Fatigue

Insulin helps cells absorb glucose for energy. In type 2 diabetes, cells become resistant to insulin, reducing energy and causing fatigue. Type 1 diabetes also leads to fatigue due to the body's inability to produce insulin.

6. Digestive Problems

High blood sugar can damage the vagus nerve, affecting food movement through the stomach and intestines. This may lead to decreased appetite, weight loss, acid reflux, cramps, vomiting, and constipation.

7. Weird Heartbeat

Low blood sugar triggers hormones that can increase your heart rate and cause arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). This is often a side effect of diabetes medications.

8. Sweating

Low blood sugar causes the release of hormones that can lead to sweating. This is often one of the first signs of hypoglycemia (low glucose levels).

9. Dizziness

Brain cells require a constant supply of energy. Low sugar levels deprive brain cells of energy, causing tiredness, weakness, dizziness, and headaches.

10. Frequent Urination

High sugar levels force the kidneys to process more fluid. When excess sugar is not utilized, it is expelled along with water, leading to frequent urination.

Diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. Make changes in your routine to live a diabetes-free life. NAYS also published a book on diabetes awareness, which you can find details about at this link.

Dr. Aftab Ahmad

What is your Bone Density? Are you prone to Osteoporosis?

March 28, 2018

NAYSPAK

Your bone health is assessed through bone density measurement. One of the commonly used technologies for this is Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). This procedure involves a machine sending X-rays through your bones to calculate their density. The process is quick, taking only about five minutes. During the scan, you lie on a table while a scanner passes over your body. DEXA can measure bone density at various sites, typically the lumbar spine (lower back), hip (a specific site near the hip joint), and femoral neck (the top of the thighbone, or femur). It uses only one-tenth of the radiation of a standard chest X-ray and is considered the gold standard for osteoporosis screening.

In addition to DEXA, ultrasound is used to check bone density by measuring bone mineral density at the heel, shin, or finger. This method is often used at health fairs and some medical offices.

Ultrasound Bone Density

Both the DEXA scan and ultrasound provide a T-score, which represents how close your bone density is to the average peak bone density. The World Health Organization has established the following classification for bone density:

• If your T-score is –1 or greater: Your bone density is considered normal.
• If your T-score is between –1 and –2.5: You have low bone density, known as osteopenia, but not osteoporosis.
• If your T-score is –2.5 or less: You have osteoporosis, even if you have not yet experienced a bone fracture.

Best regards,

Dr. Aftab Ahmad

The Simple Cure for Biggest Health Problems in Pakistan

March 28, 2018

NAYSPAK

Walk for around 30 minutes a day and you will experience profound health benefits. Walking may be one of the most powerful “medicines” available. In Pakistan, around 50% of deaths are due to either cardiovascular diseases (30 to 40%) or cancer (15%), and we can greatly reduce these numbers simply by walking.

Walking can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke), cancer, and diabetes. It also aids in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels and helps sharpen your memory.

Morning-Walk

Spare 30 minutes for yourself and enjoy a healthier life.

Best regards,

Dr. Aftab Ahmad

World TB Day; Current Scenario

March 25, 2018

NAYSPAK

Each year, World TB Day is celebrated on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

Despite significant progress over the last decades, TB continues to be the top infectious killer worldwide, claiming over 4500 lives a day. The emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) poses a major health security threat and could risk gains made in the fight against TB. There is a need for more research and efforts to overcome the challenge of MDR-TB.

The theme of World TB Day 2018, “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world,” focuses on building commitment to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and Ministers of Health, but at all levels from Mayors, Governors, parliamentarians and community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates, health care workers, doctors, nurses, NGOs, and other partners. All can be leaders of efforts to end TB in their own work or terrain.

This is a critical theme, given the political importance of the upcoming UN General Assembly high-level meeting on TB this year, which will bring together Heads of State in New York. It follows on from a very successful Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in Moscow on 16-17 November 2017, which resulted in high-level commitments from Ministers and other leaders from 120 countries to accelerate progress to end TB.

World TB Day provides the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the disease and mobilize political and social commitment for accelerated progress to end TB.

Last year, WHO reported that 10.4 million people fell ill with TB and there were 1.8 million TB deaths in 2016, making it the top infectious killer worldwide. This disease is deeply rooted in populations where human rights and dignity are limited. While anyone can contract TB, the disease thrives among people living in poverty, communities and groups that are marginalized, and other vulnerable populations.

Signs and Symptoms

• Coughing that lasts three or more weeks
• Coughing up blood
• Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing
• Unintentional weight loss
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Chills
• Loss of appetite

Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including your kidneys, spine, or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may give you back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.

TB in Pakistan

Pakistan, with an estimated 510,000 new TB cases emerging each year and approximately 15,000 developing drug-resistant TB cases every year, is ranked fifth among TB high burden countries worldwide and accounts for 61% of the TB burden in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The disease results in over 70,000 deaths each year in Pakistan.

Like previous years, the National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS), Pakistan is celebrating World TB Day in Pakistan to raise awareness among the general public. Please join hands with NAYS Pakistan so we can educate the public about this devastating disease.

References

World Health Organization - TB Day 2018 Event
Mayo Clinic - Tuberculosis

Best regards,

Dr. Aftab Ahmad

aftab.nays@gmail.com

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By NAYSPAK

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25 Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon

May 15, 2017

NAYSPAK

Tags: Aging, Dr. Aftab Ahmad, Health, NAYS, Pakistan, Skin Health, Watermelon

Watermelon is a great gift of summer and luckily it is heavily grown in Pakistan and is available in plenty during the season. Watermelon needs a warm and long growing season to grow. It is an ancient fruit and its history dates back more than 5000 years. Recently (1992) a seedless variety of watermelon was also created.

Watermelon is very rich in nutrients including carbohydrates, many important vitamins (folates, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, thiamin, Vitamin A, C, and E), Electrolytes (sodium and potassium), Minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc) and phyto-nutrients (carotene, crypto-xanthin-beta, lutein-zeaxanthin, and lycopene).

Health Benefits of Watermelon

• Antioxidants: Watermelon is rich in antioxidants and hence reduces the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
• Lower Blood Pressure: Watermelon contains citrulline which is converted into arginine, and both citrulline and arginine dilate the blood vessels and lower blood pressure, saving us from diseases like stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
• Diabetes: Watermelon helps diabetic patients by reducing insulin resistance, making glucose readily taken up by the cells.
• Muscle Soreness: Watermelon is a natural way to reduce muscle soreness and makes your body fresh and active after workouts.
• Kidney Disorders: Watermelon helps reduce kidney disorders, especially due to the high concentration of calcium and potassium.
• Cancer: Watermelon has components that play an important role in cancer prevention and treatment, especially antioxidants.
• Heart Health: Watermelon helps lower LDL levels in the blood, improving heart health and reducing the chances of heart attack.
• Macular Degeneration: Watermelon is good for eye health as it contains carotenoids and vitamin A.
• Sexual Health: Watermelon is good for sexual health as it contains arginine which is converted into nitric oxide (NO) by NO synthase. NO improves sexual health.
• Asthma Prevention: Vitamin C in watermelon improves asthma conditions.
• Digestion: Watermelon is rich in fluid and fiber, improving digestive health and alleviating constipation.
• Muscular Dystrophy: Arginine in watermelon inhibits inflammation pathways, reducing inflammation and helping muscle regeneration.
• Skincare: Watermelon improves skin due to its vitamin C and E content which induce collagen production.
• Hair Growth: Important vitamins in watermelon promote hair growth.
• Weight Loss: Watermelon helps burn fat and lose weight by making you feel full and reducing cravings.
• Bone Health: Watermelon contains minerals and lycopene that improve bone health.
• Nerve Health: Watermelon is rich in potassium, which is good for nerve health, along with other important vitamins and minerals.
• Inflammation: Watermelon helps reduce acute and chronic inflammation.
• Aging: Being an alkaline fruit, watermelon reduces acids in the body and slows down the aging process with antioxidants.
• Wound Health: Vitamin C in watermelon speeds up the wound healing process.
• Cellular Health: Essential vitamins and minerals in watermelon improve cell health and prevent oxidative damage.
• Heat Stroke: Watermelon helps reduce heat stroke with its high water content, lowering body temperature and blood pressure.
• Immune Support: Rich in vitamins and phyto-nutrients, watermelon helps the immune system fight illnesses.
• Gum Health: Watermelon improves gum health and prevents gum diseases.
• Scurvy: High vitamin C content helps prevent scurvy, keeping you fresh and energetic.

Dr. Aftab Ahmad
President NAYS
aftab.nays@gmail.com