Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have developed an innovative polymeric nanomedicine for the treatment and management of inflammatory diseases, a promising step toward addressing this rapidly growing global health crisis.
Inflammatory diseases affect people of all ages worldwide. Chronic inflammation is a major cause of serious conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. If left untreated, they damage tissues, impair organ function, and sometimes lead to multi-organ failure, increasing the risk of death.
In addition, inflammation plays a significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Accurately identifying the causes of inflammation is extremely complex, as it can be caused by external factors (biological or chemical) or internal factors (such as genetic mutations). These patients often have elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers, further underscoring the need for effective treatments.
Recognizing this critical need, a research team led by Prof. Pradeep Paik of IIT (BHU) at the Translational Nanomedicine for Therapeutic Applications Laboratory, School of Biomedical Engineering, has developed a polymeric nanomedicine that has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in preclinical trials.
According to Prof Paik, this nanomedicine provides high therapeutic efficacy at very low doses, is immune-sensitive, and offers strong protection against a variety of inflammation-related disorders. It may prove to be an effective alternative treatment for acute inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic inflammation, and also demonstrates safety in cardiovascular complications, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, fatty liver, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
For this research, Divya Pareekh, the lead collaborator and PhD researcher, has been awarded the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Appreciation Award 2024. The award was announced on November 12, 2025. Her contributions to the discovery and development of nanomedicines were a key basis for this national honour.
Congratulating the team on this achievement, IIT (BHU) Director Prof Amit Patra said that this accomplishment underscores the institute’s commitment to promoting society-relevant translational research. He added that the development of this polymeric nanomedicine, with the potential to treat a wide range of inflammatory diseases, is an important scientific step toward addressing major health challenges facing the country and the world. He heartily congratulated the research team for their dedicated hard work and excellent scientific work.