Among the findings by researchers at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences:
•A common mineral could be the key to developing a new line of antibiotics for a bacterium that causes diarrhea. The trace mineral selenium is found in a number of proteins in both bacterial cells and human cells called selenoproteins. UCF associate professor William Self's research shows that interrupting the way selenoproteins are made can halt the growth of Clostridium difficile, which can lead to illnesses ranging from severe diarrhea to colitis. The bacterium is a life-threatening problem in hospitals and nursing homes worldwide, and the number of cases is on the rise.
•A new vaginal cream developed by UCF researchers could somedayprevent the transmission of HIV. Lead scientist Alexander Cole used aminoglycosides, drugs commonly used to fight bacterial infections, to trigger the production of a dormant gene found in humans and coaxed it to produce retrocyclin, a protein that resists HIV. "It could make a huge difference in the fight against HIV," Cole said. "Much more work would be needed to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of this approach. We would certainly have to have human trials, but these findings represent a promising step in that direction."
•UCF researcher Henry Daniell and his team have developed a vaccine that early research shows is highly effective against the black plague, a disease that continues today and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat. The vaccine, taken orally or by injection, was given to rats at UCF. All untreated rats exposed to the plague died within three days while all immunized animals survived with no traces of the plague in their bodies. The World Health Organization reports at least 2,000 cases of the plague annually. Daniell is confident the vaccine will work for the bubonic and pneumonic plague, based on animal studies.
•A team of scientists led by UCF researcher Kiminobu Sugaya may have found a new way to treat Alzheimer's disease. The team combined a technique for transplanting stem cells into rats and a newly discovered compound, phenserine, to reduce the amount of a plaque that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The combination triggered the regeneration of neurons that are destroyed by Alzheimer's and are necessary for healthy brain functions. "If our success with mice can translate into the human brain, it could give hope to patients and their families," said Sugaya.