Kochi, India (CU)_ Turmeric has long been praised for its medicinal benefits. Its cancer-curing qualities have long been recognized. And now a researcher from Kerala has recently demonstrated them once again. Dr Lekha Dinesh Kumar has made a significant advancement in cancer research and treatment by combining two major research technologies known as RNA interference (RNAi) and nanotechnology to create a biodrug that is non-toxic and biocompatible while also ensuring site-specific delivery of the medicine to targeted colon and breast cancer cells.
Dr Lekha is the project head for cancer biology at the CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. According to her, curcumin, which is a primary component of turmeric, possesses strong anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making it an ideal candidate for cancer treatments. Curcumin is utilized in conjunction with other biological components to deliver the biodrug.
The study, which was just published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal ‘Nanoscale,’ was conducted in partnership with the CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL). The gene-silencing technique, often known as RNAi, is applied in this case. RNAi is a potential method for treating chronic illnesses such as cancer in a targeted and focused manner.
This is paired with nanotechnology to create nanocarriers that specifically target RNA and subside it, or specifically silence the overexpressed gene. Dr Lekha explained, “It is the over-expressed gene that leads to cell multiplication and then to tumor and cancerous growth. The technology shuts the gene down, selectively”. According to her, the biggest impediment to the promise of RNAi-based therapy is the lack of safe and effective delivery systems for RNAi molecules.
According to Dr Lekha, “This could be addressed by using nanotechnology. The combinatorial approach of using nanocurcumin to encapsulate the drug allows in the enhanced targeting and uptake by the cancerous cells at the tumor site”. Dr Lekha’s biodrug is non-toxic and biocompatible. The outcomes demonstrated that nano-RNAi biodrug formulations successfully regress tumors by attacking target genes.
According to Dr Lekha, the preclinical experiments were conducted on mice. The next stage is clinical trials in humans. She said, “We could see that after the administration of the drug, there was a one-fourth increase in the lifespan of the mice. This, when compared to humans, ensures good longevity. A one fourth increase in lifespan would mean an increase of 20 to 25 years for humans”.
