IIT-Madras Researchers Spicing up Cancer Treatment With Indian Masalas, Clinical Trials Soon
Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, have patented the use of Indian spices to treat cancer and the medicines are likely to be available in the market by 2028, according to officials.
The Indian spice-derived nanomedicines have shown anti-cancer activity against lung, breast, colon, cervical, oral and thyroid cell lines but were safe in normal cells, they said.
The nanomedicines were also found to be safe in normal cells. The researchers are currently working on addressing the safety and cost issues which are major challenges in the existing cancer medicines.
Animal studies have been successfully concluded recently and clinical trials are being planned with a target of making the medicines available in the market by 2027-28.
“While the medical benefits of Indian spice oils have been known through the ages, their bioavailability has limited their application and use. Formulation as a nano-emulsion effectively overcomes this limitation. Stability of the nano-emulsion was a key consideration and it was optimised in our laboratory,” R Nagarajan, a professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering in IIT-Madras, told PTI.
