The Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (SRMC) Deemed University in Chennai will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US based New York University for a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded research programme on oral cancer. The tie up will be the first of its kind research initiative of New York University in Asia.

According to Dr MJ Ramakrishnan, principal of Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, the programme will involve multi level academic and technical expertise sharing, faculty and student exchange, besides joint long-term efforts to develop treatment methodologies to prevent or cure oral cancer.

"Dr Stuart Hirsch, dean, International Affairs and Dr Sathya Kalloor, public relations officer of the New York University visited SRMC last week and was satisfied with our infrastructure and technical competency to undertake the programme. Once the MOU is signed, the New University will identify the protocol and areas of research and will recommend the NIH to fund for the project. Apart from technical guidance, they will supply the necessary equipments if necessary to undertake the research programme," DR Ramakrishnan told Pharmabiz.

SRMC already has a tie-up with the Harward Medical International for research and education in certain specific areas of medicine, and the present tie-up would envisage to emerge as a similar successful joint venture, hoped Dr Ramakrishnan.

He noted that radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and treatment involving drugs are the current methodology in curing oral cancer. SRMC will initially organize screening camps, ascertain oral cancer through biopsy and will create database of the treatment procedure. The dental college is starting a dedicated telemedicine link with the New York University to help the students and faculty of SRMC interact with the experts at least every month and to process data.

He said the dental college recently conducted a screening camp among 500 people in and around the villages of SRMC and detected about 41 people with symptoms of oral cancer, later confirmed among three people. A similar screening among 500 school children led to detect oral cancer for a seven-year-old girl, who had the habit of regularly chewing arecanut, imitating her father.