INDO-US SYMPOSIUM ON CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY
Cancer is emerging as a major public health problem in India. It is lifestyle related, has a long latent period and needs specialized infrastructure and human resource for treatment. India still has a high burden of preventable communicable diseases and will offer competition for the resource allocation. Based on the cancer registry data from National Cancer Registry Programme it is estimated that there will be about 800,000 new cancers cases in India every year. At any given point there is likely to be 3 times this load that is about 240,000 cases. Most of these cancer cases are terminated with unfortunate death of the patients and a large number of them die while chemotherapeutic treatment due to side reaction of the highly toxic anticancer drugs.
Despite significant gains in the treatment of certain cancers, a highly developed and technologically advanced country like America is still losing the war on cancer. In USA over the past 20 years, it is reported, spending has increased nearly 10-fold, yet cancer incidence rates have climbed by more than 16 percent. 5-year survival rates have remained flat at about 50% for men and women and at about 38% for African-Americans.
The Government of India’s recent amendment to Schedule Y of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and formulation of progressive policies has given a fillip to nanomedicine research in the country, especially in the field of oncology. Reduced toxicity, lesser doses form and drug applications with more patient compliance are some of the important parameters which should be taken into intensive consideration while formulating the new anticancer drugs. Although as far as nanomedicine is concerned India has miles to go, the United States have made significant achievements in nanomedicine formulation for fighting out different diseases including cancer. The recently FDA approved nanoparticles based parenteral formulation of paclitaxel has become popular in USA. The scientists in USA are trying to have oral chemotherapeutic formulations of anticancer drugs. In India also scientists are intensely studying the anticancer properties of many herbal drugs. Both the countries are independently engaged in making injectable or oral formulations of very poorly water soluble drugs. These endeavours would be more effective had there been joint research efforts between India and USA. The purpose of this summit is to bring scientists, technologists and industrialists from both the countries on one platform to have intensive discussion about the cancer related problems of their respective countries and to explore the possibilities of collaborative research for fighting out the problems.
This Indo-US joint summit will address the potential ways in which nanotechnology can tackle these challenges. Distinguished speakers from USA as well as from India would summarize the current state of the art and future barriers. The discussion will be mainly centered around diagnostics and early detection of cancer, cancer therapeutics and molecular and in vivo imaging. The specific need for this bilateral event is to explore the possibility of post event sustained collaborative research on cancer nanotechnology between the two countries- USA and India
Host Institution
JAMIA HAMDARD
(HAMDARD UNIVERSITY)
New Delhi, India
INDO-U.S. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FORUM
Fulbright House, 12 Hailey Road, New Delhi 110 001, India
Website: www.indousstf.org
The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) was established in 2000 under an agreement between the Governments of India and United States of America with a mandate to promote, catalyze and seed bilateral collaboration in science, technology, engineering and biomedical research through substantive interaction amongst government, academia and industry.
As its mandate, IUSSTF provides an enabling platform to the scientific enterprises of the two nations by supporting an S&T program portfolio that is expected to foster sustainable interactions with a potential to forge long term collaborations. IUSSTF program manifests are largely catalytic in nature that helps to create awareness through exchange and dissemination of information and opportunities in promoting bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.
IUSSTF has an evolving program portfolio that is largely conceived and driven by scientific communities of both the countries through extending support for symposia, workshops, conferences on topical and thematic areas of interest; visiting professorships and exchange programs; travel grants; fellowships; advanced training schools; public-private networked centres and knowledge R & D networked centres. IUSSTF also works towards nurturing contacts between young and mid career scientists by convening stimulating flagship events like the Frontiers of Science and Frontiers of Engineering symposium through the U.S. National Academies model. At the same time it reaches out to industries by partnering with business associations to generate high quality events on technology opportunities for business development to foster elements of innovation and enterprise through networking between academia and industry.
IUSSTF maintains a close working relationship with the federal agencies, laboratories, government institutions, and the academia in U.S. and India, cutting across all disciplines. As an autonomous, not-for-profit society, IUSSTF has the ability, agility and flexibility to engage and involve industry, private R&D labs; and non governmental entities in its evolving activity manifold. This operational uniqueness allows the IUSSTF to receive grants and contributions from independent sources both in India and USA, besides the assured core funding from the two governments.
IUSSTF solicits proposals for its activities thrice a year (January, May and September) and awards are made on the basis of peer reviews both in India and USA.
IUSSTF values your interactions and looks forward to work with the S&T community of both countries to implement new ideas that endeavor to promote cutting edge Indo-U.S. Science and Technology collaborations.
