My first Magazine SFI Little Book - April Re-print edits included | Page 10

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Stem Cells for Diabetes?

Could stem cell therapy help to tackle diabetes? The
NUI Galway is leading REDDSTAR, an EU-funded study
that aims to develop adult stem cells with the potential
to both control blood glucose levels in patients and to
address the complications caused by diabetes mellitus.
The study will work with adult stem cells developed by
Irish company Orbsen Therapeutics, and test them at
various centres around Europe, resulting in a clinical
trial in Denmark.
www.reddstar.eu
Bananas taking a stand
against viral infection
Giving superfoods a run for their money, the banana is
now making waves in the world of anti-viral medicine.
A multinational team of researchers, including Prof Paul
Murphy’s team in the NUI Galway, have shown that a
specific protein known as a lectin can be isolated from the
banana and with slight modification has shown promise
as an anti-viral drug. The protein called BanLec binds to
sugars on the surface of the virus thus preventing them
from entering the host’s cells and causing disease.
http://www.nuigalway.ie/
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