A drug used for the treatment of acne offers hope to patients of Japanese encephalitis, a viral disease with no specific treatment and a high mortality rate. The dreaded disease claimed 26 lives in the state last year.

A study, conducted at the National Brain Research Centre in Manesar, Haryana, has found that ‘minocycline’ substantially reduces neuronal deaths in infected mice, thus prolonging longevity.

The study was recently published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, which is brought out by the International Society for Neurochemistry. Researchers Dr Anirban Basu and Manoj Kumar Mishra found that while repeated doses of JE vaccine was only 60 per cent effective, “the treatment with minocycline provides complete protection against experimental JE”. Also, minocycline is far cheaper and is suited for mass production, according to the researchers.

Dr Basu said: “Our study has found that minocycline gives complete protection to mice infected with Japanese encephalitis. We have suggested that minocycline may be considered for clinical trials on humans.” “As researchers, we have done our job and now the ball is in the court of the government,” he added.

Encouraged by the results, the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur, which handles the maximum load of encephalitis patients, is drafting a proposal to be placed before the state government for clinical trials of the drug on humans.

In eastern UP, Japanese encephalitis or brain fever remains a dreaded disease despite widespread vaccination. Over 94 lakh children were vaccinated last year, but the disease still claimed 26 lives. Other forms of encephalitis killed 577 children in 2007.

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