Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have uncovered a previously unknown gene mutation that is linked to a highly aggressive form of a brain tumour called glioblastoma.

This deadly disease grows and spreads very quickly in the brain, and is difficult to treat. Even with available treatment, patients survive on average only for 15-17 months after diagnosis. Identifying genetic changes that govern cancer growth and spread may help pinpoint new drug targets, and develop treatments that are more effective.

Researchers at IIT Bombay create a polymer-based bioartificial implantable pancreas for producing insulin 

India is infamously called the ‘diabetes capital of the world’. With over 40 million diabetics in the country, we have a distinction of having the highest number of diabetics for any country. This has huge implications on the country’s healthcare, forcing doctors, scientists and citizens to work together to manage and remediate this condition. Now, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have some sweet news for diabetics. They have developed a polymer based bioartificial pancreas that can be implanted inside the body, thus helping in managing diabetes. 

Researchers at IIT Bombay propose an easy method to extract nutrient rich oil, protein and fibre from pomegranate seeds

We all enjoy a healthy, tasty and refreshing glass of pomegranate juice. Some of us prefer the juice over eating the arils as we may not like biting into the tasteless seeds. But do you know that the seeds are a source of a very healthy oil?  In a study, Prof. Amit Arora and his team from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have proposed a new cost-effective, zero-waste method of extracting oil from pomegranate seeds, which also yields high-quality protein and dietary fibres.

Scientists from IIT Bombay show how using drugs in combination can help treating tuberculosis caused by drug resistant bacteria

The fact that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the deadly tuberculosis, has developed resistance to most of the antibiotics we have today, is not news anymore. Many bacteria are developing resistance to common antibiotics faster than the number of effective drugs being discovered to fight them. The need of the hour is not just a “new” drug, but possibly a new method of treatment that can fight drug resistant bacteria. Now, a study by Prof. Sarika Mehra  and her team from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has uncovered a mechanism to increase the efficacy of the commonly used antibiotic rifampicin.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have established that collagen derived from fish scales could be effective for various biomedical applications such as wound healing.

Commonly removed before cooking, the research team found that fish scales contain collagen that, when further modified and applied to mice, promoted blood and lymphatic vessel formation, thus improving the potential for tissue repair and regeneration.

Led by NTU scientists Assistant Professor Cleo Choong and Associate Professor Andrew Tan, and collaborating with Associate Professor Véronique Angeli from the National University of Singapore, the team’s findings were published recently in the peer-reviewed journal   Acta Biomaterialia.