In a bid to increase the stem cell applications in the country the Union government's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has disbursed around Rs. 25 crore to Christian Medical College, Vellore to set up the Centre for Stem Cell. This centre will be commissioned in June this year. It will be a research centre undertaking studies on stem cell applications for diseases.

Prof Alok Srivastava, professor and head of the department of haematology, CMC Vellore and project director, stem cell research, said that Centre for Stem Cell would provide the much-needed expertise in the stem cell use.

The DBT has also allocated around Rs 120 crore for setting up a stem cell institute in Karnataka at Bangalore. The institute has been approved to come up in the campus of GKVK at Hebbal, which also has the National Centre for Biological Sciences and the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS). The NCBS, a subsidiary of the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research [TIFR], had been identified by the National Institute of Health [NIH], US in 2001 as suppliers of embryonic stem cells to scientists seeking US funding. NCBS had acknowledged the possession of stem cells and that all collaborations will be subject to Department of Biotechnology guidelines and Government of India rules. It was in possession of at least three potential stem cell lines, which had been collected from frozen embroyos with prior informed consent from the donor patients. But not much has taken off after that.

Sources stated that there was no need of another research institute in Bangalore, if the Vellore has already set up one. Duplicating centres will only add to the confusion in research. Not only that there was a serious lack of trained personnel in stem cell research.

Right now only doctors and doctorates in medical sciences were engaged in the stem cell research. The Manipal University through its Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) which ahs been offering doctoral programmes (PhDs) in Regenerative Medicine) at Manipal will also commence operations of an Institute in Bangalore close to the Manipal Hospital to offer Post Graduation in Regenerative Medicine for the first time in the country. The two-year programme of four semesters approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) will start in June 2007 with 50 seats. This will allow us to have trained personnel for our future projects and product development efforts, stated Dr Satish Totey, secretary, stem cell research forum of India and chief scientific officer, Stempeutics, Manipal Health Systems. The new institute will allow students all the exposure to stem cell research and they will co-ordinate with the doctoral candidates, he added.

Going by the shortage of trained candidates the initiative by Manipal would support the stem cell companies in India. After Stempeutics, it is Reliance Life Sciences which is carrying out massive stem cell research.

Present global market size for stem cell is around $540 billion and growing at 15 percent. By 2010, the Indian market for stem cell therapies is expected to touch $20 billion by 2010. The most beneficial therapies with stem cells will be myocardial infraction and leg ischemia. Studies are at advanced stages for using stem cell in the spinal chord and cancer treatment.