The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has chipped in Rs 200 crore to set up Stem Cell Institute in Karnataka. The project is coming up on a 20 acre plot at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in the GKVK campus, Bangalore. It will conduct training, basic research and applicability in treatment. The foundation stone was laid by the Union science minister for Prithviraj Chavan.

The first dedicated state-of-the-art stem cell institute known as ‘iStem’ also forms part of the ‘bio-cluster’ or an industry interaction platform of which NCBS and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) are a part. The ‘iStem’ will work in coordination with NCBS and C-CAMP to form the Bangalore Cluster. The three institutes will now share knowledge resources to promote research.

The key objective of the facility is to help to form a bio-cluster with NCBS. The C-CAMP will help develop technology and enable entrepreneurship. It will understand the basic mechanism of stem cells and its potential to treat chronic conditions and degenerative diseases.

The Institute with 40 experts who will form the faculty will also focus on clinical research. It will also play a critical role in cautioning the public about the unrecognized stem cell clinics that operate without a license from the regulatory authorities which is the National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy to begin with.

According to Dr Jotsna Dhawan, dean, iStem, locating the Stem Cell Institute within the NCBS will help the cross fertilization of ideas from the Bangalore-based physical sciences institutes and information technology companies which have a life sciences focus.

The aim of the bio-cluster is to create centres of excellence which will bring research closer to universities while also translating research into tangible technological advances, said Obaid Siddiqui, founder NCBS.

The global stem cell market is estimated to be US$ 20 billion by 2010 according to reports. Adult stem cell therapy currently dominates the stem cells market with a share of almost 58 per cent. The current stem cell therapy market in India is valued at around US$ 540 million.

Currently India has around 10 stem cell dedicated companies including Stempeutics, part of the Manipal Group and Reliance Life Sciences. The research centres include Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and CMC Vellore.

There are also companies like Cryo Stemcell (Kar) Pvt Ltd, LifeCell Chennai and Cryo - Save India in Bangalore, a part of Cryo-Save Group, Europe's largest adult stem cell storage bank engaged in cord blood banking for which the Union government has formulated guidelines for storage only.