The Chennai centre of NCRM (Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine), an Indo-Japanese project, carrying out research, training clinical applications-protocol development in Regenerative Medicine-based on cell therapeutics, will sign an MoU on October 11 with Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu for starting a PhD programme in stem cell research.

The MoU will be inked between Dr Samuel Abraham, director of NCRM and Prof M Ponnavaikko, vice-chancellor of the University in the presence of Kazuo Minagawa, the consul general of Japan, Chennai on the occasion of the third anniversary of NCRM.

As per the tie-up, the Research Centre will help the University to establish a stem cell research laboratory in the university and start some specific programmes to train the students of the University in stem cell culture, said the director of NCRM while interacting with Pharmabiz on Friday.

He said the core strength of the Institute involves Stem Cell Expansion, Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering using Nano-materials. The University’s strength includes the areas such as Immunology and Animal Studies. Combining these two facilities of strength, both the Institutes will conduct the innovative PhD programme, Dr Samuel explained.

“Targeting a long term plan, we will be forming a steering committee shortly, incorporating experts from both the institutes and also from various fields like Dentistry and Ophthalmology. The committee will assigned to run the four year PhD programme,” he said.

As a first initiative in this area of research in the country, on April 21, this year, Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Chennai launched an academic programme of doctorate level research leading to a PhD degree in stem cell research to be awarded by the Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, AP, for which a MoU had been signed between the institutes, prior to the starting of the course, for collaboration on research and academic activities.

NCRM, which concentrates on basic sciences, academic research and translational work in regenerative medicines, is the first Institute in the world to host the off-shore web-based training programs in regenerative medicine in affiliation with the University of Toronto, Canada.