Kochi: PNNM Ayurveda Medical College, Shoranur, and chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for research on psoriasis. This is the first research activity of such kind in India with a German university.
The clinical research is aimed at testing the efficacy of ayurvedic treatment in psoriasis patients. The data collection for the research, which is expected for a period of two years, will start in October this year at PNNM. Design of the research study, its protocol, statistical work, part of the funding and data analysis will be carried out by the German university.
Once the clinical part is completed at PNNM, the results will be analysed by the chair of complementary and integrative medicine and will have a joint publication in any of the leading medical journals. The ethical committees from the German university and PNNM Ayruveda Medical College and the Kerala University of Health Sciences have approved the study.
“Psoriasis is a major chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that is associated with substantial impairment of physical and psychological quality of life,” said Prof. Eswara Sarma, principal, PNNM Ayurveda Medical College. “The conventional treatment protocols manage the condition but with remissions and relapses it creates anxiety in patients. Many of the patients withdraw from active social life as the disease attains chronic nature.”
Dr Syal Kumar, head of the department of Indian medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, said conventional medical system tries to tackle psoriasis condition through corticosteroids and other immunomodulators. “A large portion of patients with psoriasis, however, try to use complementary and alternative medicine including ayurveda,” he said. “Even though many research studies exist for psoriasis most of them are targeting on the effect of a particular plant or single medication in ayurveda. No study has been conducted with the real ayurvedic treatment concept of treating disease condition and the individual with the disease. This research programme is attempting that.”
The MoU was signed by Prof. Gustav Dobos on behalf of chair of complementary and integrative medicine and Sandhya Mannath of the medical college in the presence of Prof Sarma and Dr Kumar.
