"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
8 Aug 2017
Scientists from IIT Guwahati have come up with a mat made of silk proteins and bioactive glass fibers for treating arthritis.
The scientists believe that these mats would help in the growth of bone cells and repair of the joints that are worn out in the patients. Arthritis mainly affects the joints of the body mainly the knees, hips, hands, spine. It happens by the breakdown of the joint cartilage and the bones below them. The current efforts are on to develop suitable tissues for substitution. Also, a team including those from University College London in the UK are into this and trying to mimic the actual process by developing substitutes. But the clinical grafts are very expensive.
Silk works as a natural protein that mimics the cartilage and the bioactive glass to develop a material that is very much similar to the natural tissue. The silk used in the mat is easily available in North East India. The silk is called Muga silk and has the capability to enhance the healing process. For the healing process, the mats can be grafted in the defected joint of the patient. But before making any final claims, the mat is being tested first on animals like rabbits and pigs and then will start with human trails.
Knee osteoarthritis is a very common joint and bone disease in India. If this experiment proves out to be successful, it would prove very beneficial!
