Therapeutics 
Bilayered 3D hydrogel dressing for chronic wounds
(0)Researchers from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram have come up with a dressing that can help heal chronic wounds. Besides mimicking the matrix between cells, it contains bioactive peptides that help keep infections at bay, Tests show that wounds on diabetic mice heal fast. Read on for more.
Treating Hyperpigmentation: Targeting Fatty Acid Synthesis
Hyperpigmentation, where parts of the skin are darker, pose psycho-social difficulties for some. Indian scientists trace the causative roots of the problem to fatty acid metabolism. Their results point at possible therapeutic interventions. Tanya Jain reports:
Fighting Leishmania with Synthetic Glycoside
A glycoprotein protects leishmania parasites from digestion by our macrophages. So the parasites can hitch a ride on macrophages to viscera, mucosa or skin and start dividing, causing leishmaniosis. Indian scientists have come up with a synthetic glycoside which targets the glycoprotein and effectively kills the parasites. Tanya Jain, NII, reports.
Metformin in Diabetes Type II: responders vs non-responders
The prevalence of diabetes type II is increasing rapidly. The drug of choice for the condition is metformin. But all patients do not respond to the drug in the same manner. Why? Researchers from Manipal came up with an answer. Karthic A reports.
Combating Stress: yoga nidra for adolescents
While low levels of stress may be productive, unremitting high levels of stress can lead to mental ill health and suicides. How can schools counter high suicide levels among Indian students? Here’s the answer from researchers in Mangalore.
Anti-Alzheimer’s Compounds Found in Red Cedar Leaves
Medicines used for treating Alzheimer’s tend to damage liver. Researchers from the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University have now found five compounds in the red cedar leaf extract that could be used to treat Alzheimer’s.
Controlling Blood Pressure: Essential oil from Hrivera root
Researchers from Tamil Nadu delve into the secrets of the Siddha medicine used for treating high blood pressure. The essential oil from the root of Hrivera is indeed effective and acts on the calcium channels as most other antihypertensives do, they find.
Fucoidan: A Natural Polysaccharide for Cervical Cancer
The drug, SAHA, used for treating cervical cancer has too many side effects. Ilora Ghosh and team from JNU has now suggests a nontoxic alternative, fucoidan, a sulphated polysaccharide from brown seaweed.
Nanoparticles for Pain Relief
Injections are painful. But what if drugs and vaccines that can’t be taken orally are administered nasally? Especially those that need to be delivered to the brain? How do we make such nanocapsules for nasal spray?
Circular RNAs as Colorectal Cancer Biomarkers
Rajabrata Bhuyan from the Banasthali Vidyapith and Angshuman Bagchi from the University of Kalyani have identified circular non-coding RNAs involved in colorectal cancers. This type of RNAs may one day become a part of cancer diagnostics and perhaps will even play a role in therapeutics.
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