11/08/2021 12:59 PM | Click to read full article
A medical institution in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, recently got a US patent for turmeric-based cancer therapy. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology has devised a way to use the active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin, to directly target malignant tissues to reduce inflammation and post-surgical bleeding.
Researchers associated with the project said that the therapy will attack cancerous cells and not affect healthy cells. The advantage with curcumin is that it also has anti-clotting properties and can, therefore, be used in concert with surgical removal of cancerous tumours. Although it is still far from being approved as a therapeutic intervention, its introduction may mean there will be a gentler alternative to chemotherapy.