Celling Success
This was on my mind for quite some days now ... i decided to put it on my blog the day i read it .. but somehow in the busy schedule I kept postponing it ... but, today after 10 days I'm finally putting it up .....
It is a small column that appeared in THE TIMES OF INDIA on 10th March 2005 on the EDIT PAGE. So here it is for everyone who reads my blog .... I thought this piece of information should not go unnoticed ....
It is a small column that appeared in THE TIMES OF INDIA on 10th March 2005 on the EDIT PAGE. So here it is for everyone who reads my blog .... I thought this piece of information should not go unnoticed ....
Indian medical breakthrough in life-saving stem cell therapy
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has earned its spurs once again with its remarkable achievements using stem cell technology. The premier medical research institution has pioneered the injection method in stem cell therapy. The procedure involves injecting stem cells into the artery leading to the diseased organ - after occluding the vein to prevent loss in transit - in patients suffering from heart ailment, diabetes nad neurological disorders. The regenerative cells are delivered to the affected area initaiting the process of repair and regrowth of healthy cells. This reduces the disease burden in some while completely cures others. The statistics are amazing considering the punishing conditions under which doctors and others at institutions like AIIMS work. Over a two-year period from February 2003 to January 2005, 35 cardiac patients - who had reached the stage where only option available was a heart transplant - were given stem cell treatment. All the patients who underwent the new procedure survived and 64 % of their dead heart muscles were revived in 18 months.
Besides cardiac patients, the stem cell injection method has been successfully used in patients with diabetes, neurological disorders, muscular dystrophy nad cerebral palsy. The team led by AIIMS director P Venugopal is optimistic that soon even immune disorders and cancer could be treated with this stem cell procedure. The litmus test would be to find out if the new procedure can be successfully replicated in medical laboratories across the country. For this, the AIIMS tean will have to set to work on a foolproof standardisation process. A patent can be obtained for this as this procedure is a global first even though stem cell technology has been applied with success in the UK, Korea and China, particularly in regenerating diseased cells. In fact, an AIIMS team could even take the new technique abroad. What does the AIIMS breakthrough mean for India and the world? Besides demonstrating the fact that India is at the cutting edge of frontier science and that our doctors are second to none, it opens up a whole lot of opportunities, both medical and commercial. India can turn into a hub for frontier medical treatment at compititive prices. Patenting the new stem cell procedure would bring in much-needed funds for other forms of medical research. Already people from abroad are seeking medical help in India. This breakthrough will only add to their numbers.
Besides cardiac patients, the stem cell injection method has been successfully used in patients with diabetes, neurological disorders, muscular dystrophy nad cerebral palsy. The team led by AIIMS director P Venugopal is optimistic that soon even immune disorders and cancer could be treated with this stem cell procedure. The litmus test would be to find out if the new procedure can be successfully replicated in medical laboratories across the country. For this, the AIIMS tean will have to set to work on a foolproof standardisation process. A patent can be obtained for this as this procedure is a global first even though stem cell technology has been applied with success in the UK, Korea and China, particularly in regenerating diseased cells. In fact, an AIIMS team could even take the new technique abroad. What does the AIIMS breakthrough mean for India and the world? Besides demonstrating the fact that India is at the cutting edge of frontier science and that our doctors are second to none, it opens up a whole lot of opportunities, both medical and commercial. India can turn into a hub for frontier medical treatment at compititive prices. Patenting the new stem cell procedure would bring in much-needed funds for other forms of medical research. Already people from abroad are seeking medical help in India. This breakthrough will only add to their numbers.
After reading it, I felt really proud of the fact that I'm an indian and strongly felt of propogating it to anyone and everyone I could.
Go India !
@mar.
Go India !
@mar.
posted by Amar Ghaisas at
7:15 pm
