Thiruvananthapuram’s Sree Chitra Tribunal Institute for Medical Sciences has won US patent for its ground breaking discovery to kill cancer cells. The technology involves extracting ‘curcumin’ a molecule from turmeric, and directly injecting into the affected tissues rather than through conventional oral or intravenous methods. It enables it to target malignant cancer cells while sparing the healthy ones around them.

Turmeric has proven anti-cancer properties, and curcumin, a molecule extracted from it, is easily absorbed by the body. The molecule aids the clotting of the blood. The institution focussed on processing the curcumin to form a stable and easy-to-use wafer configuration.

The institute is ready to transfer the technology for future development of curcumin as an anti-cancer treatment through animal and clinical trials. The institute has previously transferred the technology for binding curcumin with albumin to an industry partner.