Medical research has taken an unprecedented turn with the isolation of human embryonic stem cells by James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin in the US in 1998. Since then, nine other research organisations worldwide developed a total of 64 stem cell lines which are accepted for federal funding by the Bush government. It is indeed creditable that two of these 10 prestigious research institutions are from India. Stem cells are blank cells obtained from human embryos of a few weeks old which can develop into a variety of cells in human body. Scientists believe that stem cells can transform eventually into any of human body's approximately 260 different cell types. In other words these blank cells can develop into heart, muscle, brain, skin, bones or to any other body tissue. Scientists are of the view that these diverse cell types would lead to new forms of treatment for many serious diseases that cannot be cured today. It is estimated that, roughly 128 million people suffer from diseases that could be effectively treated or cured through stem cell research. Out of this as many as 58 million people suffer from some form of cardiovascular diseases treatable through this new form of medical research. Biotech companies based in the US namely Geron Corp and Curis Inc are already working on the commercial applications of this new medical technology. It should not be therefore surprising to expect stem cell therapies in the next 5 to 10 years for a number of diseases.
As these promising new therapies are going to be based on biological materials derived from human bodies, some of the social and ethical issues involved in procuring these materials need to be addressed to. Currently there are no regulations governing the stem cell research in any of the countries, which are identified to be having stem cell lines. American Heart Association (AHA) is already developing a set of guidelines to be followed by the laboratories engaged in the stem cell research in the US. These guidelines, under preparation, may prohibit payment or other inducement to donors, physicians, hospitals or research labs for stem cells derived for research purpose. AHA guidelines are also expected to ban creation of embryos for the purpose of harvesting stem cells, combining stem cells with animal embryos or even using stem cells to create a human being. These possible misuses are, no doubt, issues of extreme concern not only for the US but also for all countries including India. The government of India too has set up a high level committee in a bid to frame an ethics policy for genomic research including stem cell technology. It is important, in this context, that these regulations are finalised without much delay and after adequate consultations with various non-government organisations and independent medical experts.