The scientists in US and Europe are actively engaged in the commercialization of stem cell therapies using adult stem cells. Adult stem cell therapies currently dominate the global stem cell market with around 58 per cent. Out of the 180 leading stem cell companies in the world, majority of them are based in US followed by European Union, Israel, Thailand, Canada and Australia.
However, India and China are likely to play a key role in the scientific, clinical and commercial development of stem cells. Although at a nascent stage, stem cell therapies are rapidly growing in the Indian market. A lot of efforts are being made to collaborate with foreign companies for stem cell research, according to officials of Stem Cell Research Forum of India.
The global market for stem cells is expected to be $20 billion by 2010. The stem cell market in India is estimated to be around US$540 million and growing at 15 per cent.
According to Dr D Balasubramanian, director of research at LV Prasad Eye Institute of India, who is also the chairman of the National Task Force and the president of the Stem Cell Research Forum of India, there has been an increasing activity in the country in the area of stem cell research in both public and private sectors. The Union government's initiatives in developing stem cell research reflect a growing world-wide trend in this field.
Stem cell researchers have already achieved some encouraging results. "Right policies, public-private partnership, funding and an increasing scientific base will contribute towards strengthening India's position in stem cell research," he added.
Dr Prabha D Nair, researcher, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, stated that current clinical therapies to repair damaged organs are tissue engineering with stem cells. The use of scaffold cells signalling molecules and culture conditions are required to produce functional tissue engineered organs. Mesenchymal stem cells are particularly useful for cartilage tissue engineering.
Dr Satish Totey, secretary, Stem Cell Research Forum of India and chief scientific officer, Stempeutics, Manipal Health Systems informed that stem cells provide an unlimited donor source for transplantation and tissue regeneration in vitro. Such stem cells have been demonstrating to restore functions in various diseases including spinal cord injury, myocardial infraction, leg ischemia, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's in animal and human models.
In addition to such clinical significance, the current progress on stem cell research is shaking some of our views in mammalian cell and developmental biology. Stem cell research indicated that cell lineage may not be so definitive anymore and cell differentiation will be no longer unidirectional. Therefore, regenerative medicine conceptualizes the ability to harness the power of the cells to regenerate or replace damaged tissues.