IIT Bombay’s new smart platform to help researchers decode brain diseases

(Photo: IIT Bombay) IANS

New Delhi, (IANS) A team of bioengineers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has developed new smart platforms --BrainProt and DrugProtAI -- that unify data on scattered brain diseases to help researchers find markers, explore treatments, and pinpoint druggable targets.

BrainProt v3.0 is a database that combines various types of biological data -- from genes to proteins -- into a single platform to enable systematic insights into human brain function in both healthy and diseased states.

It is the first system to integrate multi-disease data from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and biomarker research and multi-database information into one portal.

“BrainProt also includes resources to identify and understand protein expression differences between the left and right hemispheres of the human brain across 20 neuroanatomical regions. This is the first resource of its kind,” said Prof. Sanjeeva Srivastava from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay.

BrainProt includes data on 56 human brain diseases and 52 multi-omics datasets derived from more than 1,800 patient samples. These datasets include transcriptomic data for 11 diseases and proteomic data for six diseases.

For each disease, users can examine genes and proteins frequently associated with the disease, assess how strongly these genes and proteins are already supported by existing medical and scientific databases, and how their activity levels change in patient samples.

DrugProtAI was developed to understand whether a protein can be druggable (has the biological and physical characteristics needed to be a useful drug target) before doing costly experiments.

This is crucial because only about 10 per cent of human proteins currently have an FDA-approved drug, with another 3-4 per cent under investigation.

“Before investing years of work in a protein target, DrugProtAI predicts whether the protein is druggable by looking beyond the protein’s sequence, such as cellular location, structural attributes, and other unique characteristics it has,” said Dr. Ankit Halder, co-author of the study.

The tool generates a “druggability index” -- a probability score indicating how likely a protein is to be druggable. A higher score suggests that the protein shares many properties with proteins that already have approved drugs, while a lower score indicates that drug development would be more challenging.“By integrating DrugProtAI directly into BrainProt, we created a pipeline where researchers can move from identifying a disease marker to examining its expression patterns to evaluating its druggability and exploring existing compounds or clinical trials, all within an hour,” Halder said. IIT Bombay’s new smart platform to help researchers decode brain diseases | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→January 23, 2026

New Eco-Friendly Tech Eliminates ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Record-Breaking Speed–And it’s Reusable

PFAs self-destruct in this layered double hydroxide material made from copper and aluminum – credit: Rice University

University researchers in Texas and Korea have collaborated to developed an eco-friendly water purifier that captures—and destroys—toxic “forever chemicals” (PFAS) more than 1,000 times better than current methods.

Their study marks a major milestone in addressing one of the world’s most persistent environmental and health threats.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals first created in the 1940s for use in products ranging from Teflon pans to waterproof clothing and food packaging. Their ability to resist heat, grease, and water has made them valuable for industry and consumers, but that same resistance means they do not easily degrade.

Current health studies have suggested their lingering residues in water are linked to possible liver damage, reproductive disorders, immune system disruption, and certain cancers.

Traditional PFAS cleanup methods typically rely on adsorption, where molecules cling to materials like activated carbon or ion-exchange resins. While these methods are widely used, they come with major drawbacks: low efficiency, slow performance, and the creation of additional waste that requires disposal.

“Our new approach offers a sustainable and highly effective alternative,” said Professor Michael Wong at Rice University, who specializes in nanotechnology, chemistry, and biomolecular engineering.

The innovation centers on a layered double hydroxide (LDH) material made from copper and aluminum, first discovered by South Korean Professor Keon-Ham Kim, while he was a grad student at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 2021.

While experimenting with these materials, a student at Rice, Youngkun Chung, discovered that one formulation with nitrate could adsorb PFAS with record-breaking efficiency.

“To my astonishment, this LDH compound captured PFAS more than 1,000 times better than other materials,” said Chung, a lead author of the study.

“It also worked incredibly fast, removing large amounts of PFAS within minutes, about 100 times faster than commercial carbon filters.”

The material’s effectiveness stems from its unique internal structure.

Its organized copper-aluminum layers combined with slight charge imbalances create an ideal environment for PFAS molecules to bind—with both speed and strength.

Works equally well in river water, tap water and wastewater

To test the technology’s practicality, the team evaluated the LDH material in river water, tap water and wastewater. In all cases, it proved highly effective, performing well in both static and continuous-flow systems.

The results, recently published in the journal Advanced Materials, suggest strong potential for large-scale applications in municipal water treatment and industrial cleanup.

Closing the waste loop

Removing PFAS from water is only part of the challenge. Destroying them safely is equally important. The team at Rice developed a method to thermally decompose PFAS captured on the LDH material. By heating the saturated material with calcium carbonate, the team eliminated more than half of the trapped PFAS without releasing toxic by-products.

Remarkably, the process also regenerated the LDH, allowing it to be reused multiple times—refreshing itself for reuse.

“It’s a rare one-two punch against pollution,” wrote Science Daily, “fast cleanup and sustainable destruction.”

Preliminary studies showed the material could complete at least six full cycles of capture, destruction and renewal, making it the first known eco-friendly, sustainable system for PFAS removal.

“We are excited by the potential of this one-of-a-kind LDH-based technology to transform how PFAS-contaminated water sources are treated in the near future,” said Professor Wong said.“It’s the result of an extraordinary international collaboration and the creativity of young researchers.” New Eco-Friendly Tech Eliminates ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Record-Breaking Speed–And it’s Reusable

Read More........→January 13, 2026

Time of day may determine heart surgery outcomes: Study

(Photo: AI generated image/IANS)

New Delhi, (IANS) Heart surgery that begins late in the morning may raise the risk of cardiovascular deaths when compared to other times of the day, according to a study.

Researchers at The University of Manchester, UK, suggested that integrating body clock biology into the planning of heart surgery could support a more personalised, precision medicine approach, as some people’s body clock makes them early birds and others make them night owls.

The data, based on the analysis of national datasets comprising over 24,000 patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, showed late-morning surgery was linked to an 18 per cent higher risk of death -- almost one fifth -- from heart-related causes compared with early-morning surgery.

And the most common surgical start time was 07:00 am to 09:59 am -- accounting for 47 per cent of all surgeries.

Though complication rates and readmissions were unaffected by the time of day, the findings still pose questions about the best time to schedule heart surgery.

The study, published in the journal Anaesthesia, also gives an important insight into the potential influence of the body clock -- a set of 24-hour biological cycles present in our cells and organs -- on surgery as a whole.

“This research shows that a slightly higher risk of heart-related mortality is likely to occur when heart surgery starts in the late morning. Even small improvements in timing-related outcomes could have significant benefits to patients,” said lead author Dr Gareth Kitchen, Clinical Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester.

“However, though the risk is statistically significant, it is relatively modest, and patients can be reassured that most people will almost certainly be unaffected. It is, though, our duty as clinicians to ensure the best possible outcomes, and moderating timings is a potentially inexpensive method to achieve that,” Kitchen added.“With more understanding of how body clock biology varies between individuals, precision and personalised scheduling of cardiac surgery may one day allow us to achieve better patient outcomes,” the researcher said. Time of day may determine heart surgery outcomes: Study | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→January 13, 2026

Mom and Baby Beat 1-in-a-Million Odds to Survive the ‘Rarest of Pregnancies’

This photo provided by the family shows, from left, Kaila, Suze, Ryu and Andrew Lopez at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles in August 2025 – family photo

A Los Angeles woman recently celebrated the first Christmas with her baby boy, Ryu, born to truly remarkable circumstances.

Ryu developed outside his mother’s womb, and remained hidden for months behind an ovarian cyst that grew to be the size of a basketball. It was so unbelievable, the surgical/OBGYN team that delivered Ryu documented it for a case study in a medical journal.

The manner in which Ryu came into being represents a circumstance that’s “far, far less than 1 in a million,” said Dr. John Ozimek, medical director of labor and delivery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, where Ryu was born. “I mean, this is really insane.”

Now 41, Suze Lopez has always had an irregular cycle, so missed periods—even consecutive ones—are a normal occurrence. It was almost 20 years ago that she was diagnoses with a pair of ovarian cysts, one of which was removed immediately, and one of which was not.

So in early 2025 when Lopez noted her abdomen swelling, her first thought was the cyst. She never felt kicking, and never had morning sickness—and indeed her instinct was at least partly correct.

The pressure and pain in her abdomen grew as days passed, and she was certain that, even if it risked her ability to conceive again, it was time to remove the other cyst which unbeknownst to her had grown to weigh a mind-boggling 22 pounds.

She needed a CT scan to prepare for surgery, which required a pregnancy test for the radiation, and to her utter surprise the test came back positive. Lopez was delighted, but the pain and discomfort grew and soon she had to be hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai where her medical team found a near fully-developed fetus in an amniotic sack lodged against her pelvis.

The term for where the fetus develops is “implants” and the term for a fetus that implants outside of the womb is an “ectopic pregnancy.” Almost all of these go on to rupture and hemorrhage. As such, fetal mortality can be as high as 90% in such cases and birth defects are seen in about 1 in 5 surviving babies, SF Gate reports.

However, because fetal Ryu implanted against the pelvic wall and not against the liver, it was far more manageable, and the reason why Lopez didn’t have more pain earlier.

Lopez and her boy beat the odds, despite a mammoth surgical procedure that both delivered Ryu at 8 pounds and removed the ovarian cyst—together weighing as much as an adult bobcat. During the procedure, Lopez lost half her blood, and had to be continually given transfusions.

“The whole time, I might have seemed calm on the outside, but I was doing nothing but praying on the inside,” Andrew Lopez, Suze’s husband, told SF Gate. “It was just something that scared me half to death, knowing that at any point I could lose my wife or my child.”Instead, they both survived without any maleffects. Ryu “completes” their family, said his mother, and recently celebrated his first Christmas alongside his older sister Kaila. Mom and Baby Beat 1-in-a-Million Odds to Survive the ‘Rarest of Pregnancies

Read More........→January 10, 2026

A Rare Cancer-Fighting Plant Compound has Finally Been Decoded

Anti-cancer plant enzyme uncovered by Tuan-Anh Nguyen and Dr Thu-Thuy Dang – UBC Okanagan

Canadian researchers have figured out how plants make a rare natural substance—mitraphylline—with its potential for fighting cancer and becoming a sustainable new medicine.

Mitraphylline is part of a small and unusual family of plant alkaloids, molecules that are defined by their distinctive twisted ring shapes, which help give them powerful anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects.

For years, scientists knew these compounds were valuable but had little understanding of how plants actually assembled them at the molecular level.

In solving a long standing biological mystery, progress came in 2023, when a research team led by Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan identified the first known plant enzyme capable of creating the signature ‘spiro’ shape found in these molecules.

Building on that discovery, doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen led new work to pinpoint two key enzymes involved in making mitraphylline—one enzyme that arranges the molecule into the correct three dimensional structure, and another that twists it into its final form.

“This is similar to finding the missing links in an assembly line,” says Dr. Dang, the university’s Research Chair in Natural Products Biotechnology. “It answers a long-standing question about how nature builds these complex molecules and gives us a new way to replicate that process.”

Red vein kratom leaves by Jade at Thehealingeast – CC BY-SA 4.0

Many promising natural compounds exist only in extremely small quantities within plants, making them expensive or impractical to produce using traditional laboratory methods. Mitraphylline is a prime example. It appears only in trace amounts in tropical coffee trees such as Mitragyna (kratom) and Uncaria (cat’s claw).

By identifying the enzymes that construct and shape mitraphylline, scientists now have a clear guide for recreating this process in more sustainable and scalable ways.

Toward Greener Drug Production

“With this discovery, we have a green chemistry approach to accessing compounds with enormous pharmaceutical value,” says Nguyen. “This is a result of UBC Okanagan’s research environment, where students and faculty work closely to solve problems with global reach.”

“Plants are fantastic natural chemists,” Dr. Dang said.

“Our next steps will focus on adapting their molecular tools to create a wider range of therapeutic compounds.”“Being part of the team that uncovered the enzymes behind spirooxindole compounds has been amazing,” added Nguyen, whose team collaborated with researchers at the University of Florida. A Rare Cancer-Fighting Plant Compound has Finally Been Decoded

Read More........→January 08, 2026

Simply Shining Light on Skin Can Replace Finger Pricks for People With Diabetes

Blood-glucose monitor uses light to spare diabetes patients from finger pricks – Credit: Christine Daniloff / MIT

A new method for measuring blood glucose levels, developed at MIT, could save diabetes patients from having to prick their fingers several times a day.

The MIT team used a technique that reveals the chemical composition of tissue by shining near-infrared light on them—and developed a shoebox-sized device that can measure blood glucose levels without any needles.

The researchers found that the measurements from their device were similar to those obtained by commercial continuous glucose monitoring sensors that require a wire to be implanted under the skin. While the device presented in this study is too large to be used as a wearable sensor, the researchers have since developed a wearable version that they are now testing in a small clinical study.

“For a long time, the finger stick has been the standard method for measuring blood sugar, but nobody wants to prick their finger every day, multiple times a day,” says Jeon Woong Kang, an MIT research scientist and the senior author of the study.

“Naturally, many diabetic patients are under-testing their blood glucose levels, which can cause serious complications. If we can make a noninvasive glucose monitor with high accuracy, then almost everyone with diabetes will benefit from this new technology.”

MIT postdoc Arianna Bresci is the lead author of the new study published this month in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Some patients use wearable monitors, which have a sensor inserted just under the skin to provide glucose measurements from the interstitial fluid—but they can cause skin irritation and they need to be replaced every 10 to 15 days.

The MIT team bases their noninvasive sensors based on Raman spectroscopy, a type that reveals the chemical composition of tissue or cells by analyzing how near-infrared light is scattered, or deflected, as it encounters different kinds of molecules.

A recent breakthrough allowed them to directly measure glucose Raman signals from the skin. Normally, this glucose signal is too small to pick out from all of the other signals generated by molecules in tissue. The MIT team found a way to filter out much of the unwanted signal by shining near-infrared light onto the skin at a different angle from which they collected the resulting Raman signal.

Typically, a Raman spectrum may contain about 1,000 bands. However, the MIT team found that they could determine blood glucose levels by measuring just three bands—one from the glucose plus two background measurements. This approach allowed the researchers to reduce the amount and cost of equipment needed, allowing them to perform the measurement with a cost-effective device about the size of a shoebox.

“With this new approach, we can change the components commonly used in Raman-based devices, and save space, time, and cost,” Bresci told MIT News.

Toward a watch-sized sensor

In a clinical study performed at the MIT Center for Clinical Translation Research (CCTR), the researchers used the new device to take readings from a healthy volunteer over a four-hour period, as the subject rested their arm on top of the device.

Each measurement takes a little more than 30 seconds, and the researchers took a new reading every five minutes.

During the study, the subject consumed two 75-gram glucose drinks, allowing the researchers to monitor significant changes in blood glucose concentration. They found that the Raman-based device showed accuracy levels similar to those of two commercially available, invasive glucose monitors worn by the subject.

Since finishing that study, the researchers have developed a smaller prototype, about the size of a cellphone, that they’re currently testing at the MIT CCTR as a wearable monitor in healthy and pre-diabetic volunteers.

The researchers are also working on making the device even smaller, about the size of a watch, and next year they plan to run a larger study working with a local hospital, which will include people with diabetes.Edited from article by Anne Trafton | MIT News Simply Shining Light on Skin Can Replace Finger Pricks for People With Diabetes

Read More........→January 01, 2026

A Rare Cancer-Fighting Plant Compound has Finally Been Decoded

Anti-cancer plant enzyme uncovered by Tuan-Anh Nguyen and Dr Thu-Thuy Dang – UBC Okanagan

Canadian researchers have figured out how plants make a rare natural substance—mitraphylline—with its potential for fighting cancer and becoming a sustainable new medicine.

Mitraphylline is part of a small and unusual family of plant alkaloids, molecules that are defined by their distinctive twisted ring shapes, which help give them powerful anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects.

For years, scientists knew these compounds were valuable but had little understanding of how plants actually assembled them at the molecular level.

In solving a long standing biological mystery, progress came in 2023, when a research team led by Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan identified the first known plant enzyme capable of creating the signature ‘spiro’ shape found in these molecules.

Building on that discovery, doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen led new work to pinpoint two key enzymes involved in making mitraphylline—one enzyme that arranges the molecule into the correct three dimensional structure, and another that twists it into its final form.

“This is similar to finding the missing links in an assembly line,” says Dr. Dang, the university’s Research Chair in Natural Products Biotechnology. “It answers a long-standing question about how nature builds these complex molecules and gives us a new way to replicate that process.”

Red vein kratom leaves by Jade at Thehealingeast – CC BY-SA 4.0

Many promising natural compounds exist only in extremely small quantities within plants, making them expensive or impractical to produce using traditional laboratory methods. Mitraphylline is a prime example. It appears only in trace amounts in tropical coffee trees such as Mitragyna (kratom) and Uncaria (cat’s claw).

By identifying the enzymes that construct and shape mitraphylline, scientists now have a clear guide for recreating this process in more sustainable and scalable ways.

Toward Greener Drug Production

“With this discovery, we have a green chemistry approach to accessing compounds with enormous pharmaceutical value,” says Nguyen. “This is a result of UBC Okanagan’s research environment, where students and faculty work closely to solve problems with global reach.”

“Plants are fantastic natural chemists,” Dr. Dang said.

“Our next steps will focus on adapting their molecular tools to create a wider range of therapeutic compounds.”“Being part of the team that uncovered the enzymes behind spirooxindole compounds has been amazing,” added Nguyen, whose team collaborated with researchers at the University of Florida. A Rare Cancer-Fighting Plant Compound has Finally Been Decoded

Read More........→December 31, 2025

Patients Thought Untreatable with Rare Disease Dramatically Improve with Common Gene Therapy

A lumbar puncture – credit, BruceBlaus CC 3.0. via Wikimedia Commons

A single-dose gene replacement therapy is found to transform the capabilities for movement in children over 2 years of age and teenagers with spinal muscular atrophy, according to research published in Nature Medicine.

The effects allowed these minors who could sit but not stand to move like they’ve never done before, including standing up, walking, and even climbing stairs.

The real-world results of this phase 3 clinical trial, involving 126 children and adolescents, could support an alternative to lifelong, repeat-dose treatments for people who couldn’t get access to corrective treatment before 2, when curing the condition is possible.

Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and loss of movement over time. It develops because the body cannot make enough of a protein, called survival motor neuron, needed for healthy nerve cells.

Onasemnogene abeparvovec is a gene therapy that restores production of this missing protein in a single treatment. However, it is currently approved in the US and Europe only as a single intravenous treatment for children under 2 years of age. Therefore, those older than 2 years of age can receive treatments only to slow the disease, and these must be taken regularly, either by injection or orally.

The financial burden for patients and their families is immense, with average 5-year inpatient costs of $116,000, and outpatient costs of $55,000. Around 9,000 people live with spinal muscular atrophy in the USA.

Lead author Richard Finkel at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee and colleagues assessed the safety and efficacy of a single dose of the same gene therapy—onasemnogene abeparvovec delivered—directly into the spinal fluid of children older than 2 years of age with spinal muscular atrophy.

The year-long trial involved 126 children and adolescents between 2 and 18 years of age who were able to sit but had never walked on their own. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either the gene therapy (75 participants) or a placebo (51 participants). Those who received the active therapy achieved a significantly greater improvement in motor function scores on a validated test (which identified gains in 33 specific skills, such as moving from a lying into a sitting position, walking, and climbing stairs) compared with those who did not.

Side effects were similar in both groups and were generally manageable, and the only substantial weakness in the trial was that it lasted 12 months. Longer-term follow-ups would be necessary to establish safety and efficacy.

The findings suggest that the only treatment for spinal muscular atrophy is, in fact, effective in participants older than 2 years of age, but only when delivered directly into the spinal fluid.Dr. Finkel and his colleagues recommend broadening access to this gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy to patients beyond infancy, addressing an unmet need in older children and adolescents. Patients Thought Untreatable with Rare Disease Dramatically Improve with Common Gene Therapy

Read More........→December 29, 2025

First Human Cornea Transplant Using 3D Printed, Lab-Grown Tissue Restores Sight in a ‘Game Changer’ for Millions Who are Blind

File photo – credit: Maria Maximova

The first successful human implant of a 3D-printed cornea made from human eye cells cultured in a laboratory has restored a patient’s sight.

The North Carolina-based company that developed the cornea described the procedure as a ‘world first’—and a major milestone toward its goal of alleviating the lack of available donor tissue and long wait-times for people seeking transplants.

According to Precise Bio, its robotic bio-fabrication approach could potentially turn a single donated cornea into hundreds of lab-grown grafts, at a time when there’s currently only one available for an estimated 70 patients who need one to see.

“This achievement marks a turning point for regenerative ophthalmology—a moment of real hope for millions living with corneal blindness,” Aryeh Batt, Precise Bio’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.

“For the first time, a corneal implant manufactured entirely in the lab from cultured human corneal cells, rather than direct donor tissue, has been successfully implanted in a patient.”

The company said the transplant was performed Oct. 29 in one eye of a patient who was considered legally blind.

“This is a game changer. We’ve witnessed a cornea created in the lab, from living human cells, bring sight back to a human being,” said Dr. Michael Mimouni, director of the cornea unit at Rambam Medical Center in Israel, who performed the procedure.

“It was an unforgettable moment—a glimpse into a future where no one will have to live in darkness because of a shortage of donor tissue.”

Dubbed PB-001, the implant is designed to match the optical clarity, transparency and bio-mechanical properties of a native cornea. Previously tested in animal models, the company said its graft is capable of integrating with a patient’s own tissue.

The outer layer of the eye—covering the iris and pupil—can end up clouding a person’s vision following injuries, infections, scarring and other conditions. PB-001 is currently being tested in a single-arm phase 1 trial in Israel, which aims to enroll between 10 and 15 participants with excess fluid buildups in the cornea due to dysfunction within its inner cell layers.

Precise Bio said it plans to announce top-line results from the study in the second half of 2026, tracking six-month efficacy outcomes.

The corneas are designed to be compatible with current surgery hardware and workflows. Shipped under long-term cryopreservation, it is delivered preloaded on standard delivery devices and unrolls during implantation to form a natural corneal shape.

“PB-001 has the potential to offer a new, standardized solution to one of ophthalmology’s most urgent needs—reliable, safe, and effective corneal replacement,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., co-founder of Precise Bio and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.


“The ability to produce patient-ready tissue on demand could lead the way towards reshaping transplant medicine as we know it.”(Edited from original article by Conor Hale) First Human Cornea Transplant Using 3D Printed, Lab-Grown Tissue Restores Sight in a ‘Game Changer’ for Millions Who are Blind

Read More........→December 17, 2025

Indian study finds 1st evidence on how nanoplastics from single-use PET bottles harm body

PIB Photo

New Delhi, (IANS): Nanoplastics derived from single-use PET bottles can directly disrupt key biological systems that are vital for human health, according to a study led by the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali (INST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), on Thursday.

Nanoplastics, found in food and water, are a global concern and are increasingly being detected inside the human body. But their exact effects remain poorly understood.

While many studies had focused on how plastics pollute the environment or damage host tissues, almost nothing was known about their direct impact on beneficial gut microbes that are central to human health.

The team led by Prashant Sharma and Sakshi Dagariya from the Chemical Biology Unit at INST found the first clear evidence of profound consequences to human health.

The researchers found that long-term exposure reduced bacterial growth, colonisation, and protective functions, while increasing stress responses and sensitivity to antibiotics.

"Together, the findings explain that nano-plastics from everyday plastics are biologically active particles that can interfere with gut health, blood stability, and cellular function," said the researchers in the paper published in the journal Nanoscale Advances.

The team recreated Nano-plastics from PET bottles in the laboratory and tested them across three key biological models.

A beneficial gut bacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, was used to see how nanoplastics affect the microbiome.

At higher concentrations, nanoplastics were found to disrupt red blood cell membranes and cause premature destruction of the cells.

Further, the team also found that prolonged exposure led to DNA damage, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory signalling, alongside shifts in energy and nutrient metabolism.

"The nanoparticles induce DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses in human epithelial cells during prolonged exposure, posing risks to human health that were previously unrecognised," the researchers said.Beyond human health, the insights can extend to agriculture, nutrition, and ecosystem studies, where microbial balance and plastic pollution intersect, they noted. Indian study finds 1st evidence on how nanoplastics from single-use PET bottles harm body | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→December 10, 2025

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could unlock the next revolution in cancer treatment – new research

Adam Grippin, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Christiano Marconi, University of Florida

The COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines that saved 2.5 million lives globally during the pandemic could help spark the immune system to fight cancer. This is the surprising takeaway of a new study that we and our colleagues published in the journal Nature.

While developing mRNA vaccines for patients with brain tumors in 2016, our team, led by pediatric oncologist Elias Sayour, discovered that mRNA can train immune systems to kill tumors – even if the mRNA is not related to cancer.

Based on this finding, we hypothesized that mRNA vaccines designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 might also have antitumor effects.

So we looked at clinical outcomes for more than 1,000 late-stage melanoma and lung cancer patients treated with a type of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors. This treatment is a common approach doctors use to train the immune system to kill cancer. It does this by blocking a protein that tumor cells make to turn off immune cells, enabling the immune system to continue killing cancer.

Remarkably, patients who received either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy were more than twice as likely to be alive after three years compared with those who didn’t receive either vaccine. Surprisingly, patients with tumors that don’t typically respond well to immunotherapy also saw very strong benefits, with nearly fivefold improvement in three-year overall survival. This link between improved survival and receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine remained strong even after we controlled for factors like disease severity and co-occurring conditions.

To understand the underlying mechanism, we turned to animal models. We found that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines act like an alarm, triggering the body’s immune system to recognize and kill tumor cells and overcome the cancer’s ability to turn off immune cells. When combined, vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitors coordinate to unleash the full power of the immune system to kill cancer cells.

University of Florida Health pediatric oncologist Elias Sayour, who led the research, explains that mRNA vaccines that are not specific to a patient’s cancer can ‘wake up the sleeping giant that is the immune system to fight cancer.’

Why it matters

Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer treatment over the past decade by producing cures in many patients who were previously considered incurable. However, these therapies are ineffective in patients with “cold” tumors that successfully evade immune detection.

Our findings suggest that mRNA vaccines may provide just the spark the immune system needs to turn these “cold” tumors “hot.” If validated in our upcoming clinical trial, our hope is that this widely available, low-cost intervention could extend the benefits of immunotherapy to millions of patients who otherwise would not benefit from this therapy.

What other research is being done

Unlike vaccines for infectious diseases, which are used to prevent an infection, therapeutic cancer vaccines are used to help train the immune systems of cancer patients to better fight tumors.

We and many others are currently working hard to make personalized mRNA vaccines for patients with cancer. This involves taking a small sample of a patient’s tumor and using machine learning algorithms to predict which proteins in the tumor would be the best targets for a vaccine. However, this approach can be costly and difficult to manufacture.

In contrast, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not need to be personalized, are already widely available at low or no cost around the globe, and could be administered at any time during a patient’s treatment. Our findings that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have substantial antitumor effects bring hope that they could help extend the anti-cancer benefits of mRNA vaccines to all.

What’s next

In pursuit of this goal, we are preparing to test this treatment strategy in patients with a nationwide clinical trial in people with lung cancer. People receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor will be randomized to either receive a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine during treatment or not.

This study will tell us whether COVID-19 mRNA vaccines should be included as part of the standard of care for patients receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Ultimately, we hope that this approach will help many patients who are treated with immune therapy, and especially those who currently lack effective treatment options.

This work exemplifies how a tool born from a global pandemic may provide a new weapon against cancer and rapidly extend the benefits of existing treatments to millions of patients. By harnessing a familiar vaccine in a new way, we hope to extend the lifesaving benefits of immunotherapy to cancer patients who were previously left behind.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Adam Grippin, Physician Scientist in Cancer Immunotherapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Christiano Marconi, Ph.D. Candidate in Immunotherapy, University of Florida

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→December 10, 2025

Scorpion Venom May Provide the Next Breast Cancer Breakthrough

– credit Marino Linic

Scientists in Brazil are currently testing to see if the venom of an Amazonian scorpion could be used to poison breast cancer tumors.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) have long worked to clone and express proteins from rattlesnake and scorpion venom with hopes of transforming these powerful compounds into medicines.

Recently, their work identified that venom of the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus appears to attack breast cancer cells in a way similar to a widely used chemotherapy medication.

These early findings were generated through a collaboration with scientists from the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and the Amazonas State University (UEA).

“Through bioprospecting, we were able to identify a molecule in the species of this Amazonian scorpion that is similar to that found in the venoms of other scorpions and that acts against breast cancer cells,” said Eliane Candiani Arantes, a professor at FCFRP-USP and the coordinator of the project.

Arantes and her team identified two neurotoxins in scorpion venom with immunosuppressive effects. Working with collaborators at INPA and UEA, they found a peptide named BamazScplp1 in the venom of Brotheas amazonicus that appears to have anti-tumor potential.

Laboratory tests showed that the peptide’s impact on breast cancer cells was comparable to paclitaxel, a commonly prescribed chemotherapy treatment. It primarily triggers necrosis, a form of cell death previously associated with molecules from other scorpion species.

Arantes and her team have isolated other components of venoms from scorpions and from snakes that have been used to help develop other clinical applications, including an internal wound sealant that mimics the body’s natural clotting and scaffolding processes. It’s undergoing trials for use in nerve repair, bone healing, and restoring movement following spinal cord injury.Next time you see a scorpion, and think it a nasty creepy crawly that will send you to the hospital, show a bit of grace; they might help save a woman’s life some day. Scorpion Venom May Provide the Next Breast Cancer Breakthrough

Read More........→December 08, 2025

Indian scientists find genetic clues to tackle oral cancer among women

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New Delhi, (IANS) A team of Indian scientists has discovered oral cancer-causing driver gene mutations in women patients in southern parts of the country.

The team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru and the BRIC-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani, in collaboration with clinicians from Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research (SDUAHER), Kolar, conducted a female-centric study on oral cancer in India with a unique tobacco chewing habit.

This study led by Professor Tapas K Kundu, JNCASR, Bengaluru aimed to understand what makes cancers in women unique, how the disease manifests and progresses in female patients and how we can treat them better.

The team also used artificial intelligence (deep learning) to digitally analyse tumour tissues. This revealed two distinct groups of female patients, each with a different immune response in their tumours.

India carries one of the world’s heaviest burdens of oral cancer with alarmingly high rates witnessed among women in certain regions, especially in southern and northeast India, due to the widespread habit of chewing tobacco-infused betel quid, gutka, and related products.

While the disease is widely studied in men, oral cancer in women has often remained under the radar.

The study was performed on paired tumour and blood samples from female OSCC-GB patients with a unique regional tobacco-chewing habit (Kaddipudi), commonly observed among women in the Kolar district of Karnataka.

Analysis of this women-centric cohort has revealed a unique driver mutation implicated in oral tumorigenesis.

This investigation, published in the Clinical and Translational Medicine Journal, was specifically designed to uncover the biological underpinnings of the disproportionately aggressive, highly recurrent, and life-threatening forms of oral cancer that affect Indian women.

Using cutting-edge whole-exome sequencing, the researchers identified ten key genes with significant mutations in the female oral cancer cohort from Kolar, Karnataka.

Although two of the major genes, CASP8 and TP53, were found to be highly mutated in these patients, uniquely, CASP8 seems to be the driver mutation (cancer-causing), which is quite different compared to previously studied mutations in oral cancer patients (largely men).

The findings suggest that co-occurring TP53 and CASP8 mutations confer a markedly aggressive and lethal phenotype in oral cancer.The team is now focused on delineating the molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis driven by this novel driver mutation within the background of TP53 alterations for the next phase of the research. Indian scientists find genetic clues to tackle oral cancer among women | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→December 06, 2025

Australia leads first human trial of one-time gene editing therapy to halve bad cholesterol

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Melbourne, November 10 (IANS): Researchers in Australia have led a first-in-human trial for a breakthrough gene-editing therapy that halves bad cholesterol and triglycerides in people with difficult-to-treat lipid disorders.

The trial tested CTX310, a one-time CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing therapy that uses fat-based particles to carry CRISPR editing tools into the liver, switching off the ANGPTL3 gene. Turning off this gene lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, two blood fats linked to heart disease, according to a statement released Monday by Australia's Monash University.

The Victorian Heart Hospital, operated by Monash Health in partnership with Monash University, treated three of 15 patients aged 18-75 years with difficult-to-treat lipid disorders in phase 1 of the global trial conducted across Australia, New Zealand, and Britain, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported.

At the highest dose, a single-course treatment with CTX310 resulted in a mean reduction of LDL cholesterol by 50 per cent and triglycerides by 55 per cent, remaining low for at least 60 days after two weeks of treatment, it said, adding LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced by nearly 60 per cent among all participants with various doses, with only mild, short-term side effects reported.

Importantly, CTX310 is the first therapy to achieve large reductions in both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides at the same time, marking a potential breakthrough for people with mixed lipid disorders who have elevations in both, according to the trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The possibility of a single-course treatment with lasting effects could be a major step in how we prevent heart disease," said Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital, and study lead investigator."It makes treatment easier, reduces ongoing costs, relieves pressure on the health system, all while improving a person's quality of life," Nicholls said, emphasising plans to focus on larger and more diverse patient populations in future trials of CTX310. Australia leads first human trial of one-time gene editing therapy to halve bad cholesterol | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→December 04, 2025

Boy with Rare Genetic Disorder Amazes Doctors After World-First Gene Therapy

Courtesy of Oliver Chu family

The first child in history has successfully been treated with a new genetic therapy for an ultra-rare developmental defect called Hunter syndrome.

Several years in the making, Oliver Chu became the first in the world to receive the stem cell-based treatment in February, and 3 months later seemed to be a normal child again, meeting important milestones and playing without supervision.

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, which oversaw the trial of Oliver and 4 other patients, says that children with severe Hunter syndrome cannot properly break down complex sugar molecules and have widespread symptoms including rapid and progressive learning and memory problems, heart and lung dysfunction, hyperactivity and behavioral problems, bone and joint malformations and hearing impairment.

They cannot break down the sugars because their genetic code was formed with a defect: the gene that codes for the production of an enzyme called iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) doesn’t work properly.

Professor Brian Pigger, professor of cell and gene therapy at the University of Manchester, developed a method of replacing the faulty gene with a functioning copy, called autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy.

In December, Oliver Chu, from California, arrived at Royal Manchester for the first stage of the procedure. The 3-year-old had his blood cycled in a machine to extract the hematopoietic stem cells he produces naturally. These were then sent off to a laboratory at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where a functioning copy of the defective gene is inserted into a virus and placed inside the stem cells.

In February, mother Jingru cradled Oliver in his hospital bed as he received an injection of 125 million modified cells twice in the space of 2 hours. It was a momentous day that the young boy was completely oblivious to.

After a few days, Oliver flew back to California to reunite with his older brother Skyler, who also has the disease, and his father Ricky.

Hunter syndrome affects almost exclusively boys, and then only 1 in 100,000 live births. A major challenge in the disease that can often be fatal is that treatment methods can’t cross the blood-brain barrier, as the major manifestation of the inability to break down sugars occurs in the brain.

One commercially available drug called Elaprase can slow the effects, but can’t cross the blood brain barrier. It costs as much as a house for a year’s prescription. Another treatment has been to give regular infusions of the missing enzyme, just like a diabetic would take infusions of insulin.

In May of this year, BBC reports that Oliver’s development has become remarkably normal. He’s talking all the time, and been able to stop the enzyme infusions. He runs around like any other 3-year-old, utilizing a newly-exploded vocabulary, and demonstrates genuine inquisitiveness.

“Every time we talk about it I want to cry because it’s just so amazing,” his mother Jingru told the BBC.

“We can see he’s improving, he’s learning, he’s got new words and new skills and he’s moving around much more easily,” said Professor Simon Jones, who ran the trial that saw Oliver and four other boys receive the gene therapy. “We need to be careful and not get carried away in the excitement of all this, but things are as good as they could be at this point in time.”

Unfortunately for Skyler, who also has Hunter syndrome, he’s too old to receive his younger brother’s treatment. The 5-year-old receives infusions like Oliver used to, it allows him to regain some physical development normalcy, but the infusions can’t cross the blood-brain barrier.The treatment window in the trial was 3 months to 1 year of age. It was originally believed that Oliver was too old, but a battery of tests concluded there was still a window where the therapy might reverse the genetic defect in the brain as well as the body. Ricky is hopeful the treatment will prove successful, prompting further innovation into how it might help treat older children like Skyler. Boy with Rare Genetic Disorder Amazes Doctors After World-First Gene Therapy

Read More........→December 01, 2025

Parkinson's disease causes progressive changes in brain's blood vessels: Study

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New Delhi, (IANS): Researchers in Australia have found that Parkinson's disease causes significant and progressive changes in the brain's blood vessels, changing the understanding of the disease.

While Parkinson's disease is characterised by alpha-synuclein protein deposits, the research demonstrated that region-specific changes to blood vessels in the brain underlie disease progression, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Traditionally, Parkinson's researchers have focused on protein accumulation and neuronal loss, but we have shown the impacts on our cerebrovasculature -- the blood vessels in our brain," said Derya Dik, postdoctoral student at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA).

"Our research identified region-specific changes in the brain's blood vessels, including an increased presence of string vessels, which are non-functional remnants of capillaries," Dik added.

NeuRA researchers, in collaboration with the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney, also observed changes relating to how blood flows in the brain and how the blood-brain barrier operates.

The findings, published in the journal Brain, may also help open up new treatment avenues.

Researchers believe that targeting these progressive, region-specific changes may be able to slow disease progression and improve outcomes for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

In addition to exploring what these findings mean for people with Parkinson's disease, the researchers are considering impacts for other neurodegenerative disorders.

"We are now investigating whether similar cerebrovascular changes are present in post-mortem brain tissue from individuals with Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies tissue," Dik said."This study may lead to new treatment options for people with Parkinson's disease, but we also want to better understand the contribution of vascular pathology in these other neurodegenerative disorders and explore whether this can reveal new targets for therapies and treatments for people with those conditions also," the researcher said. Parkinson's disease causes progressive changes in brain's blood vessels: Study | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→November 28, 2025

Japanese researchers successfully regenerate bone using stem cells

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New Delhi, (IANS): A team of researchers from Japan has successfully treated spinal fractures in animal models using stem cells from fatty tissue.

The team from the Osaka Metropolitan University used stem cells extracted from adipose -- the body’s fatty tissue -- to treat spine fractures in rats similar to those caused by osteoporosis in humans.

These cells offer the advantages of being easy to collect, even from elderly individuals, and causing little stress to the body, suggesting a non-invasive way of treating bone diseases.

Bone regeneration and strength were significantly improved in rats transplanted with the adipose tissue (ADSCs).

The genes involved in bone formation and regeneration were also activated. The study was published in Bone and Joint Research.

“This study has revealed the potential of bone differentiation spheroids using ADSCs for the development of new treatments for spinal fractures,” said Yuta Sawada, a student at the varsity's Graduate School of Medicine.

“Since the cells are obtained from fat, there is little burden on the body, ensuring patient safety. This simple and effective method can treat even difficult fractures and may accelerate healing,” added Dr. Shinji Takahashi.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become brittle and prone to fractures. Among osteoporosis-related fractures, compression fractures of the spine -- known as osteoporotic vertebral fractures -- are the most common type of fracture and pose a serious problem, leading to a need for long-term care and a significant decline in quality of life.

The team used stem cells, which are multipotent, meaning that they can be differentiated into many different cell types.

They developed ADSCs into bone-differentiated spheroids -- three-dimensional spherical clusters -- and combined it with beta-tricalcium phosphate, a material widely used for bone reconstruction, to successfully treat rats with spinal fractures.“This technique is expected to become a new treatment that helps extend the healthy life of patients,” Takahashi said. Japanese researchers successfully regenerate bone using stem cells | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→November 20, 2025

Unique Antibody from Camels and Alpacas Could Be Used to Treat Alzheimer’s

– credit, Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

An antibody-like compound known on land to be exclusively to be found in camelids like alpacas, lamas, and dromedaries, could be used to treat human brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

The study’s focus were antibody-like proteins, aptly called nanobodies, whose small size allowed the scientists to treat neurological conditions in mice more effectively and with fewer side effects.

The study, published in the journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, outlines the next steps towards developing nanobody treatments that are safe for humans.

“Camelid nanobodies open a new era of biologic therapies for brain disorders and revolutionize our thinking about therapeutics,” said Dr. Philippe Rondard, of Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France.

“We believe they can form a new class of drugs between conventional antibodies and small molecules.”

Nanobodies were first discovered in the early 1990s by Belgian scientists studying the immune systems of camelids. They found that as well as making conventional antibodies, which are composed of two heavy chains and two light chains, camelids also produce antibodies with just heavy chains.

The antigen-binding fragments of those antibodies are now known as nanobodies. They’re just one-tenth the size of conventional antibodies, and have not been found in any other mammals, say scientists, although they have been observed recently in some cartilaginous fish.

Therapeutic approaches for diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders often centre around antibodies. The treatments that have shown some therapeutic benefits, including a few drugs for Alzheimer’s treatment, are often associated with secondary side effects, however.

With their much smaller size, scientists say nanobodies have the potential to offer better efficacy for brain diseases with fewer side effects. In previous studies, the team has shown that nanobodies can restore behavioral deficits in mouse models of schizophrenia and other neurologic conditions.

“These are highly soluble small proteins that can enter the brain passively,” said co-author Dr. Pierre-André Lafon, also of CNRS. “By contrast, small-molecule drugs that are designed to cross the blood-brain barrier are hydrophobic in nature, which limits their bioavailability, increases the risk of off-target binding, and is linked to side effects.”

He says nanobodies are also easier than conventional antibodies to produce, purify, and engineer and can be fine-tuned to their targets.

But the researchers acknowledge that several steps need to be taken before nanobodies can be tested in human clinical trials for brain disorders. They say toxicology and long-term safety testing are essential, and the effect of chronic administration needs to be understood.

“It will be necessary to obtain clinical-grade nanobodies and stable formulations that maintain activity during long-term storage and transport,” said Dr. Rondard.Dr Lafon added that his lab has already started to study these different parameters for a few brain-penetrant nanobodies and has recently shown that conditions of treatment are compatible with chronic treatment.” Unique Antibody from Camels and Alpacas Could Be Used to Treat Alzheimer’s

Read More........→November 18, 2025

New online tool to transform how high blood pressure is treated

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New Delhi, (IANS): A global team of researchers from India, Australia, the US, and the UK has developed a novel online-based tool which can transform how hypertension is managed, allowing doctors to choose a treatment for each patient based on the degree to which they need to lower their blood pressure.

The 'blood pressure treatment efficacy calculator' is built on data from nearly 500 randomised clinical trials in over 100,000 people. It allows doctors to see how different medications are likely to lower blood pressure.

“We cannot overlook the importance of controlling high blood pressure effectively and efficiently. Achieving optimal control requires a clear understanding of the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs at different doses and in various combinations. Without clarity on what we want to achieve and how to achieve it, we will not meet our targets. Guidelines define the target blood pressure, while our online tool helps identify which antihypertensive drugs are best suited to reach that target,” said Dr. Mohammad Abdul Salam, from The George Institute for Global Health, Hyderabad.

A single antihypertensive medication -- still the most common way treatment is started -- typically lowers systolic BP by just 8-9 mmHg, while most patients need reductions of 15-30 mmHg to reach ideal targets.

Nelson Wang, cardiologist and Research Fellow at the Institute, noted that while the traditional way of doing this is by measuring blood pressure directly for each patient and adjusting treatment accordingly, BP readings are far too variable, or ‘noisy’, for it to be reliable.

The new tool, described in research published in The Lancet, helps overcome this challenge by calculating the average treatment effect seen across hundreds of trials.

It also categorises treatments as low, moderate, and high intensity, based on how much they lower blood pressure (BP) -- an approach already routinely used in cholesterol-lowering treatment.

High blood pressure is one of the world’s biggest health challenges, affecting as many as 1.3 billion people and leading to around ten million deaths each year.Often called a silent killer as it does not cause any symptoms on its own, it can remain hidden until it leads to a heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease. Fewer than one in five people with hypertension have it under control. New online tool to transform how high blood pressure is treated | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→November 11, 2025

Nagaland University researchers find plant compound to treat diabetic wound, foot ulcers

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New Delhi, (IANS): Researchers at the Nagaland University have identified a naturally occurring plant compound called ‘Sinapic acid’ as a powerful therapeutic agent that can significantly enable wound healing in patients with diabetes.

A diabetic wound is a slow-healing sore, most often a foot ulcer. Also known as diabetic foot, it raises the risk of nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor blood circulation, foot ulcers, infections, and amputation in severe cases.

The study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, demonstrated that oral administration of Sinapic acid can accelerate diabetic wound healing in preclinical models.

Sinapic acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in various edible plants.

The research established that the compound works by activating the SIRT1 pathway, which plays a crucial role in tissue repair, angiogenesis, and inflammation control.

The discovery marks a major advancement that could result in safe, natural, and effective treatments for diabetic wound management.

“Diabetes mellitus remains one of the world’s most pressing chronic diseases, affecting hundreds of millions globally. Among its serious complications is delayed wound healing, often resulting in diabetic foot ulcers, infection, and, in severe cases, amputation. Existing synthetic drugs have shown limited efficacy and often cause undesirable side effects,” said Prof. Pranav Kumar Prabhakar, Head, Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University.

“We found that a lower dose (20 mg/kg) was more effective than a higher one (40 mg/kg), a phenomenon known as ‘Inverted Dose-Response.’ This result not only optimises dosage strategy but also has significant clinical implications for future drug development,” he added.

Importantly, the discovery will help reduce the risk of amputation and accelerate recovery in diabetic foot ulcers and providing an affordable, natural oral therapy, improving accessibility for patients in rural and resource-limited settings.The research developed robust preclinical evidence that Sinapic acid enhances wound healing, improves metabolic health, and mitigates oxidative stress in diabetic models. The next phase includes pilot clinical trials, said the researchers. Nagaland University researchers find plant compound to treat diabetic wound, foot ulcers | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→November 03, 2025