This is really interesting....
Scientists at the Universities of Bradford and Glasgow have identified a new biochemical pathway that can be controlled using metformin - a medicine used by diabetics to control blood sugar levels - and salicylate - the main ingredient in aspirin.
The researchers now hope to conduct further studies and eventually clinical trails with the drugs, which are already prescribed to millions of patients around the world, for a range of inflammatory disorders.
Professor Tim Palmer, a pharmacologist at the University of Bradford who led the research, said: "While our studies are at a very early stage, we've identified a new biochemical process that suggests certain anti-diabetic drugs could potentially be repurposed to treat diseases caused by activated Janus kinase proteins."
Janus kinase (JAK) proteins - named after the ancient Roman two-faced god - are involved in controlling inflammation in certain tissues. They act like gatekeepers at the surface of cells, reacting to signals released by the immune system and transmitting these messages inside the cell.
These Janus kinase proteins, however, can also carry mutations that make them faulty so they are permanently turned on and become overactive. A fault like this in Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) has been found to occur in several diseases.