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‘Stringent
rules required to monitor use of embryos’
Prof
Mitradas M Panicker, the associate professor at the National Centre
for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
(TIFR) in Bangalore, has received doctorate in biological sciences
from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA on the thesis in
bacterial molecular genetics. Currently his group is working on
the role of seretonin receptors in the differentiation of embryonic
stem cells. Prof Panicker speaks to Vijaya K on the potential and
the issues pertaining to stem cell research in India. Excerpts:
Which
are the areas where India has made progress in stem cell research?
Research
and clinical use of blood stem cells has been going on in India
for some time now. There are a few labs in India working with mouse
embryonic stem (ES) cells and there are some more working with tissue
specific, i e more restricted stem cells like neural stem cells,
muscle stem cells, which have made significant progress. Research
in human embryonic stem cells is in its infancy in India. In fact
only a few groups in the world have advanced in the isolation and
differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.
They
have been successful in duplicating certain key experiments worked
out with mouse ES cells. India has at least two groups that have
initiated work in human ES cells and certainly has the trained expertise
and intellect required to work and develop this research area. We
initiated our work in collaboration with the doctors and embryologists
at The Fertility Clinic, Mumbai. One of the foremost researchers
in this area, Dr Mahendra S Rao from National Institute of Aging,
USA, played an important role in our work.
What
are the current projects of stem cell research in India?
The
use of limbal stem cell transplants have been clinically successful
at L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. In other areas, Jawaharlal
Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Human
Genetics Institute in Bangalore, National Centre for Cell Sciences
in Pune, National Brain Centre in Delhi, Centre for Cell and Molecular
Biology, Hyderabad, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
and National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, are working
on basic aspects of human and mouse embryonic stem cells in the
areas of angiogenesis, neural stem cells and muscle stem cells.
Christian Medical College, Vellore and NCCS, Pune are working on
transplantable cells for diabetes. Reliance Life Sciences is working
on bringing stems cells into clinical use also. So currently the
research covers all the major areas.
What
are the ethical hurdles for conducting stem cell research in India?
It
is only recently that the ethical issues have been considered in
India. DBT has a set of guidelines now which are reasonable and
when compared to many other countries sensible and helpful. There
is a need to ensure that a legal framework for the use of embryos
and cells derived from them is put in place soon. There are a large
number of fertility clinics and not all of them are run in an ethical
manner. Therefore there is a need for a few but clearly spelt-out
rules in the use and availability of embryos. There should also
be a clear distinction between embryos and cell lines derived from
them. Interestingly, the current ICMR guidelines being considered
prohibits even the export of cell lines derived from embryos. This
will most certainly stifle collaborative research efforts of Indian
institutions with research institutions abroad.
Do
you think stem cell therapy can really transform the way we address
certain diseases? How does it benefit Indian healthcare?
Yes,
but it will take some time before it is put into routine use. A
number of diseases, some of them genetic, can be addressed through
stem cell therapy. It might generate new avenues for therapy. In
India, which is expected to have the largest population of diabetics
by the year 2020, insulin secreting cells would be in great demand.
Cardiomyocytes and dopaminergic neurons are also other cell types
that will be in demand.
Stem
cells will also prove useful to generate skin explants for burns,
neurons and glial cells for spinal cord injuries, blood cells etc.
These will certainly be generated by companies based outside and
the cost of such treatment may not be easy to bear for the average
Indian patient. The IPRs associated with these also have to be kept
in mind. We do not know currently if any cell line can be used to
treat any individual with problems associated with immune rejection
or genetic incompatibility. Since we have large number of ethnic
groups it may be necessary to have many different cell lines.
Can
you brief on the present DBT funded stem cell research at NCBS,
TIFR?
NCBS,
TIFR initiated work in this area a year ago with support from institutional
funds. We were initially focussed on mouse embryonic stem cells
and we have also been trying other approaches to generate neuronal
cell lines from the nervous system at different developmental stages
of the mouse. Currently we would like to generate specific neuronal
cell types from embryonic stem cells as well as the nervous system
of mouse.
We
are in the process of generating new lines of embryonic stem cells.
One of our aims is to generate cell lines from the nervous system
of the mouse and from embryonic stem cells. We would like to use
the knowledge gained to generate specific cell types from human
embryonic stem cells.
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