The Hindu : National : ICMR okays stem cell research by AIIMS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

National

National

ICMR okays stem cell research by AIIMS

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 5. Giving a thumbs-up sign to stem cell research work at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr. N. K. Ganguly, today said he stood by the authenticity of the work by the Institute.

``We have no plan to legislate the guidelines that are in place for carrying out stem cell research. Besides the three other agencies that are doing the therapy in the country, we are not aware of any other company or organisation that is doing it. Carrying out stem cell therapy requires a lot of expertise and technology; standards need to be maintained and it is not possible in a small set-up.''

Dr. Ganguly, who was addressing a press conference, organised to ``clear the misconception and controversy in the press surrounding stem cell therapy,'' said that as new things were being learnt every day in this area, ``we will leave it to the medical profession to maintain a strict code of ethics.'' The AIIMS had become the first institute to use stem cell for treating end-stage cardiac patients in the country.

Positive results

The AIIMS Director, Dr. P. Venugopal, said the therapy had been tested on 35 patients and it had brought positive results. ``The patients selected for the procedure were all end-stage cases and we used the patients' own healthy cells, introduced them in the diseased area, and then allowed it to adjust to the local micro environment. The therapy worked in all the cases. Good results were noticed within six to 18 months. We now have brought in a robotic stem cell delivery system and will soon be offering the service to patients with muscular dystrophy, neurological disorders, cornea treatment and other ailments. The possibilities are infinite and we are trying to help as many people as possible with the technique, but we are learning and doing new things each day.''

The process being followed was ethical and beneficial to patients. Besides it caused the least damage. ``We are now interested in making it available to as many people as we can,'' he added

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