India's first ever multi-centric clinical trial with stem cells is expected to take off in the next few weeks for the treatment of myocardial infractions at five hospitals in the country. The Indian Council has approved the clinical trial for Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology, government of India, which is being monitored by the Christian Medical College Vellore.

The trials will be conducted on 300 patients and the five centres are CMC Vellore, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh, Army Research and Referral Hospital, New Delhi, Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow and Air Force Medical College, Pune.

The trials would be supervised by Dr Jacob Jose, cardiologist, CMC Vellore. The trials are slated for March-April this year.

According to Prof Alok Srivastava, professor and head of the department of haematology, CMC Vellore, this is the first multi-centre clinical trials in stem cells. There are single hospital trials on at Manipal Hospital, CMC Vellore and LV Prasad Institute of Eye Diseases.

The trials will span a period of 16-24 months and if the study proves favourable then use of stem cells will find an answer for myocardial infraction which is affecting a large population in the country, stated Prof Srivastava.