LUCKNOW, Sept. 12 -- Scientists from CSIR-CIMAP and CSIR-CDRI have developed a plant-based treatment for oral submucous fibrosis or OSMF, or in very lay terms, the disintegration of the mucosal lining in the mouth.

The research has been jointly conducted by a team of researchers from CSIR-CIMAP, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI) and Lucknow University.

However, further studies and clinical trials are needed before it can be used in patients, but the preclinical results offer new hope, researchers said.

OSMF is primarily caused by chewing guthka, betel quid and areca (betel) nut, which affects more than five million people worldwide. The condition is symptomised by the stiffening of the inner lining of the mouth, severe b...