Koral ‘Purnoor’, Demokratic Front, Chandigarh – 28 December:
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi has awarded a research grant of Rs 60 lacs for a project entitled “Investigations on the role of innate immune response in neuroprotective effects of synthetic and natural heterosteroids on Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis and cognition” to Professor Ranju Bansal working at the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) to develop new drug molecules and explore natural steroids for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. The amount of Rs 39 lacs for the first year has already been released by ICMR.
Alzheimer’s disease usually affects people over the age of 65 and main symptoms of the disease include a gradual decline in memory, thinking learning, and organizing skills of an individual over time. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but certain medications and therapies can help manage symptoms temporarily.
Over the next three years, Professor Ranju will work in collaboration with Prof Rajat Sandhir of Department of Biochemistry, who is also co-investigator of the project, on the development of new drug candidates and their testing on laboratory animals to understand the mechanism of underlying disease and to find innovative solutions for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
For the last 10 years, Professor Bansal has been continuously working in the field of neurodegenerative disorders and has successfully developed some steroidal lead molecules useful for the prevention and treatment of brain diseases especially Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. She also received Mid-Career Research award of UGC while working in this area. It is a testament to the dedication of Panjab University’s Faculty in addressing pressing health challenges.
