There is relief for those suffering from liver cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, critical limb ischemia or severe blockage of arteries if stem cell researches under way in Bangalore get the Centre’s nod.
Currently, the only approved stem cell therapy in India is that of bone marrow, which is used for patients suffering from thalassemia and lymphoma diseases. Usage of stem cells for any other ailment is not deemed therapy as it is not scientifically approved by the government of India.
Stempuetics Research Pvt Ltd in association with Manipal Health Enterprise and Cipla has been working on stem cell research for three years now. On Friday, researchers from the US and India met in Bangalore to discuss the project’s progress.
Dr Jeff Karp, principal faculty at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, said India is pretty close to the US in its research in stem cells. “Many researchers in the US have completed phase 2 while the Indian research at Stempuetics is nearing completion,” he said, adding, “We are waiting for the drug controller general of India to consider stem cells as a drug.”
