Prelims: Current events of National and International Importance | science and technology.
Why in News?
Recently, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has launched the BHARAT study under its Longevity India Program.
Longevity IndiaPrograme is a initiative launched by IISc in 2024 to support ageing research in India.
- BHARAT – It stands for Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions.
- Aim – It is the pan-India research that aims to create the country's first comprehensive database to understand ageing patterns unique to the Indian population.
- It will be identified through identification of biological, physiological, environmental, and lifestyle factors that influence healthy ageing among Indians.
- Bharat baseline development – It will create India's first population-specific database defining "normal" health parameters for Indians.
- The reference values tailored to Indian genetic, socio-economic, and environmental conditions.
Key Features of BHARAT Study
- Multi-Omics analysis – Comprehensive biological profiling, including,
- Genomics – Detection of disease-linked genetic variants.
- Proteomics – Analysis of serum proteins.
- Metabolomics – Study of metabolites indicating health status.
- Lipidomics – Examination of lipid composition.
- Epigenomics – Exploration of gene expression regulation.
- Metagenomics – Gut microbiome analysis.
- Health assessment – Physical examinations to track functional decline and cognitive tests to monitor mental health.
- It will also do immune system analysis for resilience indicators.
- Lifestyle & environmental factors – Mapping of diet patterns, physical activity, and environmental exposures.
- AI and Machine Learning integration – Use of AI to analyse complex, multi-dimensional datasets.
- Simulation of interventions to predict their impact on ageing and health outcomes.
Significance of BHARAT
- It provides reliable, Indian-specific health benchmarks.
- It enables early detection of age-related diseases.
- It helps design better diagnostics and treatments for Indians.
- It bridges the gap between global research and India's healthcare needs.
- It positions India at the forefront of global ageing and longevity research.
Reference
The Hindu| The Indian Institute of Science launches BHARAT study
