Page 24 - Biennial Report 2018-20 Jun 2021

Ayurveda is an Indian system of medicine that has been documented and is in practice for over
3000 years. It addresses various aspects of health and well-being as well as diseases and has an
individualised approach that resonates with different aspects of precision medicine. Modern
medicine enjoys the advantages of objective methods of diagnosis, normative values for
physiological parameters and a rigorous, well established process of drug discovery. However,
the practice of modern
medicine tends to focus on super-
specializations, with each doctor
looking at a certain organ while the
body itself is a well- coordinated
machine. Patients can end up
shuttling from one specialist to
another or deal with ineffective
medications because it does not,
usually, leave scope for inter-
individual variability. Ayurveda on the
other hand, explores the underlying
cause of the disease and considering
the whole body as a single unit,
follows a systems’ approach. It
focuses on the variation from
the underlying normal
physiology of the individual, rather than the deviation from the population normal.
Independently, the study of human genomes has also revealed the underlying variability
amongst people even within genetically homogeneous populations. Ayurgenomics, an area of
synthesis between the traditional knowledge of Ayurveda and the emerging insights from
genomics, allows fundamental genetic variation to be mapped to patho-physiology. Ayurveda
has a formal framework for capturing inter-individual variability, called Prakriti, but it involves
extensive, in-depth assessment by a qualified and trained physician. Under the project, at IGIB,
Mitali Mukerji and Bhavana Prasher have brought together their knowledge of genomics and
Ayurveda, to develop Ayurgenomics as a research area. With support from the ministry of
AYUSH, a special Centre of Excellence has been set up for the development of Ayurveda, through
the deployment of modern genomics approach to the study of Prakriti.

The project aims to develop and validate multi-system objective parameters that could serve as
Prakriti indicators for stratification of healthy individuals across diverse ethnic groups. A multi-
omic molecular signature panel that could aid Prakriti assessment to a trained physician and
provide objective, measurable methods is the anticipated outcome. By applying Prakriti
assessment methods on the basis of markers in lifestyle and complex disorders like Type II
diabetes mellitus, its prognostic and diagnostic value can be explored. High altitude conditions
offer another area where inter-individual variability, based on adaptation and hypoxia genes can
be understood through the lens of Prakriti. The centre also conducts orientation programmes
on Prakriti methods and its scientific basis for Ayurveda post-graduates, researchers and training
of trainers as a part of Continuing Medical Education. A tie-up with NIT Durgapur has been
initiated through an MoU and Dr Bhavana Prasher has designed a special course on Ayurveda
Biology in collaboration with Department of Biochemistry Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi
University, that is offered as a weekend add-on course at the Department of Biochemistry Sri
Venkateswara College, Delhi University.

23