How our research benefits to society
Globally the proportion of elderly in every country has never been higher. Ageing is correlated with an increase in ageing-associated acute diseases, but less highlighted are the chronic degenerative diseases, which are not fatal, but seriously affect the elderly’s daily activities and overall health-related quality of life. The non-fatal, the chronic diseases are often friction-related diseases with no therapeutic treatment. Symptomatic treatments are in the form of artificial saliva, artificial tear and viscosupplementation fluid, which tries to hydrate and lubricate the relevant tissue interfaces.
Multiple Cochran reviews have shown the lack of clinical efficacy of the existing symptomatic treatments. Thus research in our group focusses on learning from the nature to devise effective biomaterial based treatments such that the quality of elderly improves and the socio-economic burden of these diseases decreased through active and productive participation of elderly in the society.