Translational and Regenerative Medicine Hold Symposium on “Stem Cells in Basic and Clinical Research”

By 121 News

Chandigarh 27^th August:- A Symposium on "Stem Cells in Basic and Clinical Research", was organized by the Department of Translational and Regenerative Medicine (Stem Cell Research Facility) on 27^th of August 2015 in PGI, Chandigarh, under the aegis of The Cytometry Society of India. The program was convened under the chairmanship of  Prof Sunil K Arora, Head, Dept of Translational & Regenerative Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh. More than 100 delegates attended the symposium, which included the clinicians, students as well as basic scientists who are working in PGI and other institutions in Chandigarh and various other far off states and abroad also. The One-day symposium is going to follow by two days wet workshop.

The symposium highlighted the recent advances in stem cell research. The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Yogesh Chawla, Director, PGIMER, who was the Chief Guest and Prof. Savita Malhotra,  Dean, PGIMER was the Guest of honor. Highly expert and renowned faculty for this event included Prof N K Mehra, Former Dean (Research) and Dr Sujata Mohanty, Additional Professor, Stem Cell Research Facility from AIIMS, New Delhi, Prof Navtej Buttar and Prof William Faubion from Mayo Clinic, USA who delivered talks on different important aspects of Stem cells.

Prof. Yogesh Chawla congratulated the organizing team and emphasized strongly on the upcoming field of stem cells and a need for more and more clinical trials in the multidisciplinary institute like PGIMER. He promised for a full support to the department in future for such activities in the institute.

In the Pre lunch session Prof. N. K. Mehra Former Dean Research, AIIMS, New Delhi shared important National guidelines made by the Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Medical Research, which are applicable to all institutes and centers involved with stem cell research and trying to use stem cell therapy for patient care. He discussed that at present, there are no approved indications for stem cell therapy other than HSCT for hematological disorders. Accordingly all stem cell therapies other than this, shall be treated as investigational and conducted only in the form of clinical trials after obtaining due regulatory approval. He also said that all clinical trials using stem cells shall be registered with CTRI (Clinical Trial Regulatory of India).

Thereafter Dr. Faubion, Associate Prof. of Med., Div. of Internal Med. and Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, USAgave a talk on Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells for clinical use; purity, potency, and safety studies andNovel Therapies for Perianal Crohn's Disease. He described the background data generated to support the regulatory application of the clinical use of MSC's and the epidemiology of the complication as well as the efforts involved in developing novel stem cell based therapy to treat Perianal Crohn's Disease.

 It was followed by a talk by Dr. Navtej Buttar, Associate Prof. of Med., consultant in the Div. of Internal Med. and Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, USA on Stem cells in Post Surgical Gastrointestinal Leaks. He shared his experiences how they treat and manage post surgical complications particularly fistula formation between gastrointestinal tract and skin with the help of stem cells and the rate of success they have achieved in the patients.