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INDORE: The Indian Institute of Technology, Indore is working on development of drugs for tuberculosis and cancer, in collaboration with noted national and foreign universities.

This and other innovations in the field of medicine were discussed during the three-day internation conference on ‘Emerging Areas of Biosciences and Biomedical Technologies’ organised by the institute — which concluded on Sunday.

“We are working in collaboration with universities in the USA, Singapore, Germany and those in the country to develop drugs for certain diseases. The work to know causes of cerebral malaria, which has a very high fatality rate, is in progress,” said, Professor Hem Chandra Jha, HOD, Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, IIT, Indore.

IIT, Indore in collaboration with university of Basel in Switzerland is working on role of virus in neuro degenerations such as Alzheimer and multiple aslerosis, said Jha.

IIT-Indore will also be collaborating with Russia, Germany, South Africa and Sweden, said an officials.

Speakers in the international conference stressed on need to develop economical devices and early diagnosis of diseases for result oriented treatment.

They also suggested measures to enhance health facility network in the country and connect rural and tribal areas.

Professor Avinash Sonawane, Discipline of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Indore said, “We are hoping for some new research activity and fresh collaborations as a result of this conference. ” Sonawane said a team of researchers under him has developed novel asparaginase molecule to improve treatment of childhood acute lymphatic leukaemia.

Teams are also working on development of small drug molecules against tuberculosis and mechanisms of drug resistance in tuberculosis, said Jha.

