Washington, Apr 18 : More than a decade after discovering kapakahines- marine-derived natural products with anti-leukaemia potential-scientists have found the first technique to synthesise them in laboratory in large quantities, by using only acetylene gas, a handful of amino acids, and a dozen inventive steps.

Kapakahines were isolated from a South Pacific sponge in trace quantities, but its lack of availability stalled any future studies.

But, thanks to the efforts of researchers at Scripps Research Institute that unlimited production of kapakahine is now possible.

Thus, research on the compound can proceed and may eventually lead to new drug treatments.

Kabul - Afghan and international forces killed four suspected militants in two opera

Washington, Apr 18 : A new nasal delivery technology with fluticasone, developed by OptiNose, has been found effective in treating chronic rhinosinusitis in a Phase II trial.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease that severely reduces a patient's quality of life, and has few effective treatments currently available.

Washington, Apr 18 : A possible way to stop the often-rapid spread of deadly brain tumors has been found by researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

A gene with the playful-sounding name NHERF-1 may be a serious target for drugs that could prevent malignant tumors from rapidly multiplying and invading other parts of the brain, according to a cover story in this month''s edition of Neoplasia, an international journal of cancer research.

Washington, April 18 : New evidence has emerged that suggests an earlier land-water transition of a four-limbed animal with backbones, which was known to have moved from fish to landlubber.

A Duke graduate student, in his research work, came across the evidence from CT scans of fossils of Ichthyostega and Acanthostega, locked inside rocks.

Both extinct species, known as Ichthyostega and Acanthostega, lived an estimated 360-370 million years ago in what is now Greenland.

Washington, Apr 18 : Hollywood actor Zac Efron is not one of those conventional budding Hollywood celebs, who go painting the town red with his wild partying, for the heartthrob instead prefers dancing and partying with his beloved grandmother.

Zac has revealed that though he has been to clubs, he doesn’t quite like it, as he finds the company of his close pals and family better.

"I''m not really into partying. Don''t get me wrong - I''ve gone to a club. But I''d much rather be with my close friends at home or a concert, or on a trip,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.