A herbal compress at the Center of Excellence in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Research (CEATMR) at Thammasat University in Pathum Thani, shot by CNN on location on Nov 25, 2024.
CNN
Herbal compresses have been used for thousands of years. Researchers in Thailand are exploring the science behind them
In Thailand, silkworms have been farmed for their silk cocoons for centuries to make luxurious fabrics and clothing. Now, university spin-out EngineLife wants to use silk fibroin, a protein extracted from silk fiber, as a drug carrier for medicines. It's not the first time scientists have turned to insects for inspiration: <strong>look through the gallery to discover more weird and wonderful ways creepy-crawlies have been used to keep us healthy.</strong>
EngineLife
These scientists want to give patients medicines wrapped in silk
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Nick and Tayler Monroe
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Neanderthal man at the human evolution exhibit at the Natural History Museum on 27th April 2022 in London, United Kingdom. The museum exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. The museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology. The museum is a centre of research specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty Images
Scientists say resurrecting extinct molecules from Neanderthals and woolly mammoths may offer hope in fight against superbugs
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CNN
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<p>Bangkok-based university startup EngineLife has found an innovative way to deliver drugs to patients, using silk fibroin, from silkworm cocoons. </p>
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<p>Herbal compresses have been used in Thailand for centuries to reduce pain and inflammation. Scientists at Thammasat University in Thailand are trying to standardize the use of these herbs with new research, and make herbal therapies like the compress more accessible.</p>
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Video Scientists are unlocking the secrets of Thai herbal compresses 0:54
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