According to a recent study, published in Stem Cell Reports on April 6, a new set of improved tools are here to advance stem cell researches. The study was led by Dr. Kelly Frazer, the professor of pediatrics and director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine. The team described the collection of “222 systematically derived and characterized iPSC lines generated as part of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s NextGen consortium.”

The Stem Cell Reports is one of the four studies, published by four different teams of researchers. But Frazer is the common factor in all four as he is senior author for all of them. The fourth study concentrated on iPSCORE, whereas the other three studies utilized the iPSCORE resource in order to explore answers to different questions related to human genetics. Some of the studies also focused on developing new tools to analyze iPSC lines.

The study confirmed that the induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs are collected from human adult cells. These cells are able to be differentiated in order to transform into a variety of cell types. By using this attribute, the scientists will be able to use the tool for all critical medical trails; from analyzing molecular processes that cause diseases to genetic variants that lead to human phenotypes.

According to Kelly Frazer, the iPSC Collection for Omic Research or iPSCORE is a collection that will be capable to address various issues that are currently disturbing iPSCs use as a standard system to study human genetics.

He mentioned in the study, “The iPSCORE collection contains 75 lines from people of non-European ancestry, including East Asian, South Asian, African American, Mexican American, and Multiracial. It includes multigenerational families and monozygotic twins. This collection will enable us to study how genetic variation influences traits, both at a molecular and physiological level, in appropriate human cell types, such as heart muscle cells. It will help researchers investigate not only common but also rare, and even family-specific variations.”

Frazer and his team utilized the entire genome sequencing and gene expression analyzing 215 human iPSC lines, derived from different donors. The idea was to identify genetic variants related to RNA expression for 5,746 genes. The study highlighted that iPSCs are valuable to analyze genetic association investigate gene expression genetic regulation in pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). The team also showed important analysis and insights into aberrant methylation patterns in iPSCs. The patterns are helpful to use these cells in various studies as well as to treat diseases.

Another important thing to note in the study is, Frazer and his team built a set of easy-to-use techniques to decrease the cost and at the same time increase the production of effective iPSC lines. In other words, the group of scientists has invented a less expensive technique to develop highly effective iPSC lines. So, the invention will not only help the doctors to detect the source of the disease effectively, but also will help the medical teams to opt for it.

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With the growing interest in the benefits of cord blood and stem cell in treating diseases, India is poised to be a major market for stem cell research in the years to come.

With the growing interest in stem cell technology and its implications in saving lives, India is set to become a solid market for stem cell research.

Parents who are advised by their doctors to enrol for cord blood banking, scientists and doctors working in regenerative medicine, the increasing numbers of people suffering from blood-related and autoimmune disorders…all of these are throwing the spotlight on stem cell research like never before. In the last decade, the stem cell research market has globally grown, while the investment in the sector in India was to the tune of $540 million in the year 2010[1].

In his report ‘Stem Cell Entrepreneurship – Trends and Advances, Part II”, Dr Winston Pareira writes, “From just a few Institutes in India two years back, today over 30 institutions are involved in stem cell research with the Indian government investing around $8 million in just the last two years. What is the ultimate goal of Stem Cell research? Today, the ultimate aim of scientists is to be able to build tissues or organs that can replace injured or diseased tissues in the human body. This concept which gives rise to the generation of mature tissues has made adult stem cells the focus of intense research, designed to treat a variety of human diseases.

“In the clinical scenario, stem cells are expected to be transplanted into the damaged area and then grow to a new, healthy tissue. Considering the immense interest worldwide, it comes as no surprise that the global market for stem cell therapy is around $20 billion in 2010, as per a Frost & Sullivan study.”

The growth of stem cell research in India was prompted also by the interest of doctors associated with various disciplines such as cardiology, diabetology, spinal cord repair and ophthalmology, and who had several patients who had the potential to show improvement provided they received the right kind of stem cells to aid restorative repair and growth.

Today, immense research is being conducted to understand the types and functions of each kind of stem cells, and their allied application in medicine. Stem cell research conducted in India is making the process of understanding cord blood and stem cell utility in finding cures much easier, faster and affordable. Writes Sanjay Mittal in the report ‘Stem Cell Research: The India Perspective’, “Given India’s science, tax regimes, regulation, supporting industries and financial markets are at a different stage of evolution to that of the developed economies, India faces unique challenges in the fluid arena of stem cell globalisation.” In the same report, Mittal adds that “emerging economies like India are introducing policies designed to improve their global competitive position in this field.”

Most stem cell research in India is driven by and encouraged by private cord blood banks, which have the lion’s share of the market in the country.[2]

[1] Pareira, Winston (Ph.D), ‘Stem Cell entrepreneurship – Trends and advances, Part II’, 2010

[2] ‘Stem cell research market in India, 2014’, www.researchmoz.us

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