Chairman of KIDS Prof. Alok Kanungo (left) and director of NISER T.K. Chandrasekhar show the MoU in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 8: The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two city-based institutes for analysing the origin and progression of stress and metabolic syndrome (SMS) and its links with diabetes.

The NISER signed an MoU with the Kanungo Institute of Diabetes Specialities (KIDS) to carry out a collaborative project on clinical, behavioural and epidemiological data on SMS and diabetes yesterday.

It also roped in the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) to use the KIDS’ expertise in genomic studies, laboratory facilities and library for research.

“As research in biology is getting expensive and the disease like diabetes is affecting many, this collaboration is expected to help the NISER in consolidating its position in fundamental biological research,” said director Prof. TK Chandrasekhar.

“Competitive research must work in complementary environment so that commonality of interest is served for social betterment through the scientific findings. Till today all our findings are based on data generated from the western population. However, this new venture aims to serve people in getting an Indian database on diabetic studies,” said ILS director Prof. B. Ravindran.

Chairman and managing director of KIDS Dr Alok Kanungo said: “While India has the highest prevalent diabetes – about 20 per cent of the total diabetic population in the world, there are 40 lakh diabetics in the state. As per statistics released by the state health department, the number of patients has been increased upto 5 lakh in the past five years.”

“According to studies conducted by the KIDS, we have come to know that the rapid rise in the prevalence of diabetes can well be attributed to rising industrialisation. Natural calamities like the super cyclone in 1999 had also contributed to the spread of the disease across the coastal belt. The situation is alarming. Surprisingly at least 50 per cent of the diabetics remain unaware of their condition. At least 12.5 per cent people in pre-diabetes stage do not even know that they have been suffering from retinopathy or disease related to their retina,” he said.

“Currently more than 20 per cent of the adult population are suffering from stress related diseases due to change in lifestyle. This also leads to the pre-diabetes stage. However, we are yet to get the Indian database either on SMS or pre-diabetes. This collaboration is expected to let us know the role of Indian genetics in diabetes,” he added.

“The KIDS has a state-of-the-art super speciality diabetes centre with latest infrastructure,” he said.

“Our focus area of research will be SMS leading to diabetes and other physiological abnormalities at molecular level. The clinical, behavioural, epidemiological and susceptibility aspects of the patients of the KIDS will be studied to understand the link in Indian genetic perspective. The research is based on the private public entrepreneurship model of the NISER,” said Palok Aich, the chairperson of School of Biological Sciences, NISER.

“The ILS, being a leading centre of studies in genetics, will help our students and researchers regarding infrastructure and library use,” he said.