The purpose of the applied research centre is to advance knowledge and innovation in the fields of Basic Medical Sciences and Clinical Research, with a commitment to improving health outcomes and quality of life.

In Basic Medical Sciences, the centre focuses on drug discovery and tissue engineering, aiming to identify novel antidiabetic and anticancer agents derived from medicinal plants. This research seeks to transform bioactive traditional medicine into effective alternatives for cancer therapy, utilising technology-aided high throughput techniques to enhance the standard and quality of findings. The centre investigates the safety and efficacy of medicinal plants, sharing insights with communities to promote health and well-being. 

In Clinical Research, the centre addresses critical public health issues, including the burden of cardiovascular disease in central South Africa and the impact of early dietary intake on long-term obesity risk. By employing a multidisciplinary approach that integrates genetics, nutrition, and metabolism, the Centre aims to predict, prevent, and treat chronic metabolic diseases that begin in childhood and early adolescence, ultimately contributing to healthier futures for individuals and communities.

Research themes within the centre

• Pharmacological investigations
• Drug discovery and repurposing
• Ethnomedicine and natural product research
• Functional food research
• Community-based clinical research collaboration
  
  

In Basic Medical Sciences, drug discovery and medicinal plants

• Through drug discovery research from medicinal plants, novel antidiabetic and anticancer agents will be identified with novel structures and unique mechanisms of action.
• Transforming bioactive traditional medicine into the world's best medicine for alternative cancer therapy.
• Drug discovery and development through technology-aided high throughput techniques to optimise the standard and quality of the research findings. The drug discovery focuses on treatments for cancer, diabetes and metabolic disease, toxicology and computational pharmacology (AI driven).
• Safety and efficacy of medicinal plants to be investigated and findings shared with the communities using medicinal plants, consequently enhancing the quality of life and health.

In Basic Medical Sciences, tissue engineering

The research involves the development of decellularised biological substitutes, with a focus on assessing whether the engineered decellularised tissue will maintain its integrity once implanted in the recipient.

In Clinical Research, determine burden of cardiovascular disease in Central SA

The research involves investigating the epidemiological changes in cardiovascular disease profiles in central South Africa, comparing past and current data. The research endeavours to demonstrate how early dietary intake influences long-term obesity risk and the role of prebiotic fibre consumption in helping obese children maintain a healthy weight. The projects are utilising a comprehensive approach that integrates knowledge of genetics, nutrition, and metabolism to predict, prevent, and treat chronic metabolic diseases that emerge in childhood and early adolescence, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

To conduct basic and translational research to address and contribute to SDGs 1, 3 and 4.

Visit the Sustainable Development at CUT page for more information on SDG contributions.

Newsroom

CUT doctoral researcher is a trailblazer in cancer treatment by integrating traditional therapies with modern science | February 2025

CUT Professor Parks Makhoahle aims to break new grounds on bioactivity of South Africa using a multidisciplinary approach | 04 November 2024

CUT Prof. Makhafola awarded the Iso Lomso Fellowship for his extensive research in genotoxicity and the use of natural products to prevent mycotoxin-induced genotoxicity and carcinogenicity | August 2024

CUT partners with CRISMO to develop clinical research opportunities in the Free State region | June 2022

The drive to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness in Free State sees CUT establishing a facility that specialises in biochemistry and tissue culture | May 2022