The Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), a premier research organization in the country engaged in frontier areas of modern biology, is planning to produce large amount of stem cells for therapeutic applications, it is learnt.

At present, stem cells are not being used therapeutically, except in a few cases, because of the deficiency in the availability of stem cells. There is a large requirement for stem cells as they can be used in anybody. According to reliable sources, large amount of stem cells are never produced any where in the world and CCMB’s attempt is to produce a large amount of stem cells and preserve them in a suitable environment for various therapeutic applications.

Talking to Pharmabiz, CCMB director Dr Mohan Rao said, “Our approach to stem cell research is multi-fold that is to produce a large amount of stem cells and maintain them in a favourable condition. As stem cells can put in anybody, we need a large amount of stem cells, and so we can keep on giving them to the required people.”

The institute is also in the process of converting stem cells in to cell systems like artificial cornea. It has already successfully developed two layers of cornea and now is developing the third layer for making artificial cornea. Across the world several people are involved in developing artificial cornea. Dr Rao added that if the attempts succeed, cornea can be produced at the factory level and there won’t be the issue of availability of donors. At present doing surgeries for corneal blindness depend on the availability of donor eyes.

The institute is also engaged in sorting out progenitor liver cells for treatment of liver cirrhosis. It has tied up with a Hyderabad-based hospital for the same and has already progenitor stem cells given to 23 patients. The sorted out progenitor liver cells injects into the patients as they can replace the affected cells. Dr Rao said that they didn’t need liver transplantations and the patients in all cases showed significant improvements.