Herbal treatment

Huma Siddiqui
Posted: Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 0132 hrs IST
Updated: Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 0132 hrs IST

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: Weapons of destruction are not the only merchandise to ship out of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. A new breakthrough by the defence R&D enterprise may provide cancer patients some relief from the serious side effects of ionising radiation that’s given to them during the treatment process.

DRDO has developed a herbal substitute for what is claimed to be the “only effective” but toxic chemical radio protector, given to patients to minimise the harmful side effects of ionising radiations. The herbal radio protector is developed from two plants —Hexandrum and Hippophae rhamnoides—found in the Himalayan region and are said to be rich source of anti-oxidants.

Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D), DRDO says, “The herbal radio protector has no side effects and is found to give 100% protection against harmful side effects of ionising radiation. The only other chemical radio protector available in the world is highly toxic. If our human trials are successful, then it will replace the chemical radio protector.”

According to Selvamurthy, DRDO has received permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to go ahead with the human trials. The trials will be conducted on cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy at Army Research and Referral Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Clinical trials on mice have been completed with promising results in terms of significant radio protection of up to 90% against ionising radiation.

For a very long time, since the days of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic holocausts, scientists the world over have been trying to develop a biological radio protector. Radioprotection is a necessity not only during radiotherapy, but also in nuclear eventualities. Radiation causes both spontaneous and delayed chronic damage in living cells, leading to cancer and death.

To find a remedy, DRDO scientists have been working for the past five years and spent close to Rs 80 lakh on the project. Good news is that they have recently conducted all the safety, efficacy and dose calculation trials. DRDO officials inform that during radiotherapy, a lot of free radicals are formed in the body which can have damaging effect on other body parts. Accordingly, in case of a nuclear attack or accidental radiation exposure, the personnel can be given the herbal radio protector to prevent them from radiations. The damages can be minimised in victims post-exposure. The herbal radio protector will release anti-oxidants and remove free...

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