Interview Extract of Indian Stem Cell Genius Dr.

Stem cell therapy is perhaps the brightest hope of modern medicine. Dr
S G A Rao, chairman and managing director of Bangalore-based Cryo Stem
Cell (Kar) Pvt Ltd, tells Harmony, "As there are no conventional cures
available for diseases caused because of cell death, stem cell-based
therapies will eventually become routine treatment."

Stem cells, the source of all blood cells, are able to regenerate
indefinitely, allowing them to form cells that replace those that fail
through disease, accident or old age. There are two types of stem
cells: adult, which include cells isolated from bone marrow; and
embryonic, which are isolated from a four or five-day old human
embryo. Although adult stem cells can replace worn-out cells and
repair tissues or organs, their scope is limited as they are
location-specific. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, are
undifferentiated and can develop into any adult cell. However, as
harvesting stem cells from embryos has caused a furore, especially in
Western, predominantly Christian nations, scientists have been
exploring other sources of stem cells-like blood from umbilical cord.

Such ethical opposition is rarely seen in India, a fact that has
enabled stem cell therapy to become available here. "I use stem cells
to treat conditions like paralysis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, motor
neurosis, cardiac complications, genetic disorders and spinal cord
damage," claims Dr Geeta Shroff (see interview), who runs Nu Tech
Mediworld Clinic in Delhi. "People who have not walked for 12 years
after spinal cord damage are now walking again." Costs, according to
her, are patient and disease-specific. "In cardiac cases, it takes Rs
20,000-Rs 30,000 a year, while for neurological cases, it costs about
Rs 3 lakh."

Shroff came into the public eye after she treated Congressman Ajit
Jogi in 2005. The 59-year-old former chief minister of Chattisgarh was
paralysed below the neck after an accident in 2004. After several
visits to Dr Shroff, he pronounced that he could sit without back
support, breathe normally and attain bladder control. Another patient
is Dr Vijaykumar Debsikdar, 45, who is undergoing treatment at Rs 1
lakh per year for an eight-year-old spinal cord injury that left him
paralysed in the right hand and from the waist down. "Now, I have
sensation in my legs," says the psychiatrist from Miraj, Maharashtra.
"I have started believing in God again."

It's one more testimonial for Dr Shroff. But some sections of the
global medical community have alleged that she has "failed to provide
evidence for scientific scrutiny". Even the Indian Council for Medical
Research has commented that the information submitted by Dr Shroff
lacked technical details. Meanwhile, the body has promised to set up
standard protocols for stem cell research in the country.

It's long overdue. As far back as 2002, Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye
Institute announced that it had pioneered the use of adult stem cells
in the treatment of human eye diseases. And companies such as Asia
Cryo Cell and Reliance Life Sciences have established cord blood stem
cell banks-here, you can bank stem cell from your baby's umbilical
cord to guard against future medical problems. Enrolment fees: Rs
60,000 to Rs 1 lakh.


INTERVIEW

"India can lead the world is stem cell therapy"

A specialist in fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilisation
(IVE), Dr Geeta Shroff branched into stem cell research in 2000. Her
clinic in Gautam Nagar, Delhi, offers embryonic stem-cell therapy,
along with other medical facilities. Though Shroff is unwilling to
divulge much about her techniques until her pending patient
application is granted, here's what she did tell Teena Baruah

Her work: I was introduced to stem cells in 1999 at a seminar in
Singapore. The idea of curing incurables excited me. I did research
for three years without any institutional backing so that I could work
on my terms. I create cell lines in my private IVF lab.
Ethic: I develop my stem cells from bio wastes so it doesn't bother
me. Being infertility specialists, we routinely get eggs and sperm to
create test-tube babies. Only one fertilised egg is introduced back to
the donor; the rest are discarded. We use them to create stem cell
lines after taking permission.
Safety: With my techniques, you don't get antigen-antibody reactions.
I have done over a hundred cases and I have seen no side effects like
tumours yet. Anyway, I follow the Indian Council of Medical Research's
draft guideline and treat only incurable cases.
Time line: Patients start feeling better within four to six weeks. But
the total process takes one or two years.
The possibilities: I can't grow back a complete organ yet; I need a
bigger lab and more funds for that. Right now, we are just replacing
dead tissue. Eventually, people over 60 could be going in for stem
cell shots to stay healthy. We could cure balding, grow new teeth, and
reserve degeneration in major body organs.
India ahead: Currently, the UK and US are caught up in moral debates
over stem cell therapy. According to British and American scientists,
it will take another five to 10 years to reach clinics. In India, I am
already doing it.
The criticism: A lot of people think I am faking it. And that's fine
by me. They have an image of a stem cell scientist and I don't fit
into that.