The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has completed its 'public consultations' on the guidelines for stem cell research regulation and will come up with the new revised guidelines by March next year. The fifth and the last of a series of 'public consultations' on the guidelines was held in Delhi on December 17, 2011.

Senior scientist at ICMR, Dr Geeta Jotwani said that the ICMR has already started the process of revising the guidelines by incorporating several valuable suggestions received through the public consultations held at five different places in the country. The ICMR is expected to come out with the new document by March next year, Dr Jotwani, who is also a member of the National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, said.

Nearly three years after issuing the guidelines prescribing stringent procedures for sourcing and use of stem cells by research institutions, the ICMR had started holding 'public consultations' on the guidelines last year to evolve a consensus on the document among the various stakeholders like patient groups, clinicians, scientists, NGOs, religious groups, media, social groups, biotech companies, pharma companies, etc.

The first such 'public consultation' was held in Mumbai on February 20 last year and the second one was held in Bangalore on April 10 last year covering all the southern states in the country. The third 'public consultation' was organised in Kolkata on April 17 last year covering the eastern region including the states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The fourth one was held at Dibrugarh on May 15, 2010 covering all the north eastern states.

The ICMR and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) jointly had formulated Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Therapy in the year 2007 providing ethical and scientific directions to scientists and clinicians working in the field. The ICMR's intervention in the issue comes in the backdrop of the feeling in the government that though stem cell research holds promise for improving health through regeneration and restoration of damaged organs by various injuries and disease, it also raises several ethical, legal and social issues.

The guidelines on stem cell was prepared for adult, cord blood and embryonic stem cells in response to the support provided by the government to facilitate stem cell research in India so as to improve understanding of human health and disease, and evolve strategies to treat serious diseases. Among several other things, the guidelines struck a severe blow against commercialization of human embryos for stem cell research by stipulating that termination of pregnancy should not be sought with a view to donate fetal tissue in return for possible financial or therapeutic benefits.