BHARAT Initiative

BHARAT Initiative Latest News

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, launched a large-scale study called BHARAT.

About BHARAT Initiative

• BHARAT is a short for ‘Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions’, as part of its Longevity India Program.
• The study aims to map the physiological, molecular, and environmental indicators that drive ageing in the Indian population.
• Under this initiative researchers are building India’s first comprehensive aging database through:
  • Multiparametric analysis
  • Advanced clinical assessment
  • Lifestyle and environmental factors
  • Comprehensive biomarker discovery

• It is identifying biomarkers for healthy ageing and also building the Bharat Baseline — a reliable reference for what is normal in the Indian population.
• Its database will include genomic biomarkers (like mutations linked to disease susceptibility), proteomic and metabolic indicators (reflecting biological pathways and metabolic health), and environmental and lifestyle factors.
• It will challenge the western values for cholesterol, vitamin D, or B12 may label many Indians as deficient.

What are Biomarkers?

• Biomarkers, short for ‘Biological Markers’ are a physical, chemical, or biological characteristic that is present in the human body, and measurable too.
• The WHO defines a biomarker as “any measurement reflecting an interaction between a biological system and a potential hazard, which may be chemical, physical, or biological. The measured response may be functional and physiological, biochemical at the cellular level, or a molecular interaction”.
• They are indispensable in diagnosing disease, prescribing the right medication, right dosage, and even while designing new drugs.
• Biomarkers include biomolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, genes, DNA, RNA, platelets, enzymes, hormones, etc.

Source: TH

‹ ›