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India’s First Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Stem Cell Research in India
Developments so far
Wednesday, 22 November 2006
An update on stem cell research in India, by Dr. Alka Sharma, Principal
Scientific Officer, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science &
Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, INDIA.
LCn.
Editor
CellNEWS
06-11-22
Another
stem cell research centre open in Mumbai
Tuesday, 05 November 2002
A few days ago, UNI of India reported that a new center for advanced stem
cell research had been opened in the Bandra-Kurla complex in Mumbai. The centre is a division of
the Asian Heart Institute and Research Centre and will
develop therapies for coronary artery diseases employing embryonic stem
cells. The project aims at evolving
a therapy that would regenerate heart cells in patients by
administering stem cells, interventional cardiologist at the institute Dr Sandip K
Rane said. Earlier, the Reliance Life Sciences (RLS)
also has established a stem cell research centre in the city.
Read
more at:
India:
Another stem cell research centre to come up
The Hindu, India - 01 Nov 2002
L.
Ed.
CellNEWS
02-11-05
Rediscovering
a Lost Science?
A Brief Overview On Stem Cell Research in India
by Vinod
Scaria, Editor, E-Journal of
Human Cloning.
E-mail: [email protected]
Post your comments at CellNEWS
discussion!
Sunday, 15 September, 2002, 20:55
GMT+1
It is perhaps not just about creating 'spare parts' for Human beings. Stem
cell research has grown at a breathtaking pace that any philosopher
worth his salt would not attempt to predict the Future. When ethical jingoism
predominates the scenario in the west, it is interesting to note that many
eastern countries have made rapid strides to reap maximum benefits out of
this interesting science. India, already widely acclaimed as the IT
[Information technology] superpower, is all set to exploit the benefits of
BT [Bio Technology]. This article is an overview of the Stem Cell research
in this part of the world.
A lost science?
In Adi parva, one
of the chapters of Mahabharata, it is said that Kauravas were created from
pinda [a ball of flesh], which Gandhari delivered after two years of
pregnancy. It was then handed over to the sage Dwapayan, which was divided
into one hundred parts and treated with herbs and ghee. The pieces were
covered with cloth and kept in a chamber to cool for two years - out of
which the Kauravas were born. "There cannot be any other
explanation for this...." says Dr Matapurkar
of the Delhi Maulana Azad Medical College.
The ancient sages of India must have perfected the art of regenerating
entire human beings from cells. In fact Mahabharata clearly describes the
various stages of processing pieces of flesh, which is in fact closely
comparable to modern techniques of harvesting and processing embryonic stem
cells [sans the sophistication!]. Perhaps stem cell research was altogether
a lost science of ancient India.
A rediscovery?
Stem cell research in India made it to the headlines when the US Department
of Health disclosed its interest in funding stem cell research in two
Indian Centres - the Reliance Life Sciences [RLS] and the National
Centre for Biological Sciences [NCBS].
The Reliance life Sciences [RLS]: backed by the industry major Reliance Ltd
ranks third among the top-10 institutes world-wide working on stem cells,
as stated by NIH and that came just when the RLS was 8 months old! Dr Firuza
Parikh, the creator
of the first ICSI [Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection] child in India, heads
the center.
The National Center for Biological Sciences had been working on stem cells
for quite long [since 1999] and has three documented stem cell lines.
Another major institute involved in stem cell research in India is the L.V.
Prasad Eye Institute, based at Hyderabad. The Institute caught the
headlines recently when its doctors succeeded in transplanting a stem cell
derived cornea to a patient who had lost his cornea - a treatment option
available only in the US at the time.
The Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi is yet another major institution
involved in stem cell research. Studies here are led by Dr Balakrishna
Matapurkar, one of
the pioneers of stem cell research in India.
The Indian BT Boom
Recently the Ruby Hall Medical Research Centre, a subsidiary of Pune-based
Ruby Hall Clinic, and Denmark-based biotechnology company Mesibo are soon
to form a 49:51 joint venture with the aim to establish India's largest
cord blood storage facility at Pune. This is apart from other major
pharmaceutical companies in the country setting up their own stem cell and
BT research centres all over the country.
These measures got a pat on the back when NIH announced its interest in
funding research in stem cells in the country.
Ethics: the Indian Perspective
When ethical jingoism dominate the scenario in the west, eastern countries
like India and Singapore are taking rapid strides to reap the benefits of
this science to the maximum possible extent.
Unlike the public opinion in the west, which is against researches in this
field, the public opinion in many eastern countries including India is far
more supportive. The epics and innumerable religious texts that are in many
parts of the world acclaimed as having scientific value, may partly be the
reason for the scientific temper inculcated in this part of the world.
This openness is reflected in the Indian Department of Biotechnology
[DBT]'s statement that India is open to stem cell research; and it promptly
made regulatory provisions to control unethical practices, and in fact
pioneered in bringing up a widely acceptable legal framework for research.
Conclusions
India has emerged as one of the major countries involved in Stem Cell
research. A country which succeeded in becoming an IT superpower is also
trying to replicate its success in BT. Apart from the pride and prestige
earned by researchers in the country, the research in BT is adding more
horsepower to the booming economy of the country. India, having an enviable
combination of manpower and infrastructure is also involved in co-operations
with other countries thus promoting the free flow of information gained
through research and their utilisation in the betterment of Human lives.
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