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India framing strict laws for stem cell research

Lola Nayar in New Delhi

India is framing stringent guidelines to guard against illegal commercial trade and export of human embryos as the world speedily moves towards stem cell research.

"At present there is no mechanism for regulation of in-vitro fertilisation or assisted reproductive technology clinics, which are mushrooming in the country," a senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research said.

Experts fear that with abortion being legal in the country and no ban on use of 14-day-old embryo for research, there is a danger of clinics misusing embryos.

Last year ICMR, the referral body of the health ministry, brought out ethical guidelines for biomedical research involving human subjects. These aim at preventing violation of human ethics, streamlining foreign collaborations and safeguarding against commercial exploitation of embryo research.

Several Indian laboratories are currently engaged in embryonic and stem cell research. Two of them -- the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore and Reliance Life Sciences in Bombay -- are among the 10 named by the US as eligible for funding.

Together the two Indian organisations have 10 cell lines, which have the capacity to grow into any tissue of the human body and hold the promise of treating medical disorders like Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, heart diseases and diabetes.

Indian scientists have been using primarily adult stem cells for research. Some of the laboratories are studying stem cells from mouse embryos, while others use umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat genetic blood disorders.

Doctors here have also been using corneal stem cells to treat retinal damage and goat stem cells to treat liver ailments.

The ICMR is now framing more stringent guidelines on transfer of embryonic cell lines for foreign collaboration by Indian laboratories.

The new guidelines being finalised for submission to the health ministry have suggested three important steps to check any illegal trade of human embryo.

These include guidelines for accreditation of IVF clinics seen as the largest source of 14-day-old embryos required for stem cell research. The use of embryonic cells for research would also be regulated and monitored by a central ethical committee.

In the case of umbilical cord blood, seen as a good source of stem cell material, "it will be brought under the Drug Controllers Regulations same as those for blood transfusion norms," said the ICMR official.

The cord tissues are also seen as potential transplant material. The existing guidelines only deal with collection of cord blood and peripheral blood.

The bioethics committee of the Department of Biotechnology, the government advisory body, is also framing guidelines for genomic research.

Indo-Asian News Service
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