Kochi 13th September : Researchers from the School of Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham here have obtained patents in the US and Australia for a new nanomedicine that has great potential to detect and treat early of liver cirrhosis and tumors.This invention was the result of an investigation project that was that was funded by the Nanobiotechnology Task Force of Deptartment of Biotechnology of Government of India.
Shantikumar V.Nair and Manzoor Koyakutty from the Amrita School of Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine in Kochi was the lead of the team to develop an exclusive kind of nanomedicine that reacts to radio waves sent out from the body.
After the nanoparticles have been placed into a tumor, they can be heated by external, medically-approved radio waves.Doctors can visualize the tumor by using an MRI machine and then burn it off in controlled fashion.
Amrita researchers have proven that the new technology can be used to aid in earlier detect of liver cirrhosis and tumors, early-stage imaging-guided treatment of liver tumours using radio-frequency ablation therapy, as well for labelling and monitoring the motion of stem cells in the body following stem cell transplantation to determine the effectiveness of the treatment been.
Koyakutty claimed that they have created a nanomedicine that is able to be used to aid in medical imaging, and paired with the delivery of drugs.
“Its particles are composed of synthesized calcium phosphate, which is a biomineral found in our bones.Typically chemically-prepared inorganic nanoparticles pose safety concerns when being used as nanomedicines.
However as a biomineral calcium phosphate can be biodegradable and biocompatible, making it completely safe for human consumption,” said Koyakutty.
Shantikumar V.Nair stated that the team is currently studying the potential of cancer immunotherapy of the nanoparticles with the support of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and an Indo-Swiss collaboration with Ludwig Cancer Research Institute, University of Lausanne, and University of Geneva, Switzerland.
“We are currently testing safety studies for regulatory approval in large animal models.
We anticipate conducting human tests of the nanomedicine in the next year,” Nair said.
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