Hydrogels : New Discovery
A new way discovered by a team of researchers at the Department of Chemical Sciences in Bose Institute to create hydrogels using tiny protein fragments of just five amino acids from the SARS-CoV-1 virus, could help improve targeted drug delivery & reduce side effects.
- Hydrogels is a three-dimensional network composed of hydrophobic polymers synthesized by crosslinking water-soluble polymers.
- Hydrogels can retain a large quantity of water within their network without disturbing their original structure. This imparts flexibility and swelling properties to the hydrogel structures.
- It is a “smart” material that can change its structure in response to its environment, such as the local temperature, pH, salt or water concentration.
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1.
- It is an airborne virus and can spread through small droplets of saliva in a similar way to the cold and influenza.
- It can also be spread indirectly via surfaces that have been touched by someone who is infected with the virus.
- Symptoms of SARS include: Persistent, high fever, Chills, Headache and Body aches.
- Treatment: There’s no established treatment specifically for SARS.
