Determination of therapeutic potential of different formulations of curcumin as an effective treatment option for pulmonary hypertension

About the Project

Pulmonary hypertension (PAH) is debilitating condition characterized by thick and stiff blood vessels that are unable to expand resulting in an increased pressure in the blood vessels supplying the lungs. This makes the heart work harder making it weak and can lead to heart failure. Changes in the functioning of some genes increase the risk of PAH. Currently there is no cure for this condition. Moreover, the current treatments are aimed at relieving the symptoms and delivered orally and hence have side effects.

Curcumin is a spice commonly used in south Asia and Indian Ayurvedic medicine and has anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. It is also known to inhibit the influence of the faulty genes. However, the low bioavailability is a significant problem which requires to be overcome to realize the potential of curcumin. The current PhD project proposes the synthesis of nano-emulsions of curcumin and investigate their effects, bioavailability, and safety on mammalian cells to determine its potential as a suitable treatment option for PAH.