Tobacco is one of the five most addictive substances in the world. No wonder, there are so many people around the globe who use tobacco in various forms. Nicotine, the chemical in tobacco leaves soon takes its toll by causing various health complications, sometimes fatal too. Apart from affecting health, unabated tobacco use can cripple a country’s economy and cause a dent to its productivity. Today, on World No Tobacco Day, read more to know how tobacco harms an individual and a society and what steps countries around the world have taken to curb this menace.

If you believe herbal medicines are your panacea for every ailment, you might want to think again! A new study has pointed out rampant adulteration and mix-up of plants being traded for the preparation of herbal medicines in India. This trend, the researchers say, might make the medicines unsafe and inefficient for the purposes they are taken for. Lack of quality assurance and regulations in the trade are the reasons behind this, say the researchers.

A new study by researchers could be a breakthrough in our fight against tuberculosis that has a long history. The researchers have identified an enzyme in the bacteria that causes TB, inhibiting which could kill the bacteria effectively. A first of its kind study, the researchers hope this enzyme can be targeted to develop effective drugs against TB without any side effects. 

As cancer, a deadly disease, evolves, our fight against it does so too. Today, there are multiple therapies and drugs available that fight different types of cancer. Now, researchers have added a new drug called Disarib to this list that acts against a particular protein called BCL2. By killing cells that overproduce this protein, the researchers claim that Disarib can act effectively against most types of cancers. A first kind of its drug made completely in India, Disarib heralds a new breakthrough in Indian pharmaceutical research.

Fighting genetic disorders is a new frontier in the field of medicine today. While some of them can be managed by early interventions, most genetic disorders do not yet have a cure.  Scientists all over the world are trying new drugs and techniques to understand and rectify such disorders. In a recent study, scientists have used bone marrow stem cell transplant as a promising cure to Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a genetic disorder affecting one in 3000. The stem cell therapy, tested on mice, has yielded a positive result and the researchers hope this could be a new ray of hope for patients with AATD.

Though our fight against tuberculosis has a long history, we have not been able to wipe off this bacterial infection from the face of the planet. Even to this day, there are numerous studies all over the world that are trying to find the ‘best’ drug against this killer disease. In a new approach to fight tuberculosis, a recent study has now shone some light on how our body fights Mycobacterium, the causative bacteria of TB. Understanding this mechanism, the researchers say, could open up new vaccines and drugs against TB and help us win the seemingly never ending battle. 

Thanks to the white revolution of the 1970s, today India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5 % of world production. While this was possible due to sustained efforts in dairy farming, a new wave of genetic engineering looks to disrupt these numbers very soon. Apart from increasing milk production, scientists are applying techniques of genetic engineering to modify cow’s milk to make it more nutritious, free of allergens and easy to digest. By genetically engineering milk, scientists also hope to keep the food security scare at bay.

In a country like India, dealing with disability can be a challenge on its own. A strong social stigma and discrimination can play havoc in one’s life leading to suicidal thoughts and depression. In a recent study, researchers have tried to understand how people with hearing loss cope with their life and if assistive technologies like hearing aids are making their lives better. By interacting with people in Kannada, a local language, the study has unearthed some of the often overlooked emotions and challenges faced by people using hearing aids to deal with their hearing loss.

Human hair has become all the more valuable, according to a spate of recent studies finding diverse applications of keratin, a protein found in our hair, in tissue engineering and stem cell research. Gone are the days when discarded hair was used for wigs, making fertilizers or in construction materials. Now, researchers have demonstrated the use of keratin derived from human hair as a scaffold to grow cells in bioengineering. The easy availability o f human hair and keratin makes research in tissue engineering very inexpensive, claim the researchers.

Malaria, the biggest killer of all time, has a long association with humans. As we develop new strategies to combat the fatal disease, the parasite causing the disease gets stronger than ever. In this seemingly never-ending tussle, who ultimately wins the battle? The judgement, it seems, is not an easy one! On World Malaria Day, here is a brief insight into the details of this deadly disease.