Even as hectic activities are on in the Union health ministry for finalising the revised guidelines for stem cell research regulation in the country, the National Apex Committee for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (NAC-SCRT) has started the process of collecting the database of Institutional Committees for Stem Cell Research and Therapy (IC-SCRT) in different institutions in the country.
According to sources, the NAC has asked all the Indian institutions working in the area of stem cell research and therapy to send their information pertaining to their institutional committee (IC-SCRT) to the member secretary of the NAC. The NAC, headed by Dr. Alok Srivastava, haematologist, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, was constituted by the union health ministry early this year for effectively reviewing and monitoring the stem cell research in the country.
Once the ministry finalises the revised guidelines for stem cell research regulation, all institutions involved in any type of stem cell research and therapy should be registered with the NAC. All the IC-SCRT have to submit annual reports to NAC. A regular monitoring will be done by the NAC by obtaining periodic report from all centres and site visits as and when required to ensure adherence to standards.
The NAC will have the responsibility to examine the scientific, technical, ethical, legal and social issues in the area of stem cell based research and therapy. It will approve, monitor and oversee research in the restricted areas.
Every scientific proposal using ES cells under restrictive category has to be cleared through IC-SCRT/IEC before referring to NAC-SCRT.
Use of chimeric tissue for research should be approved only by NAC after clearance for IC-SORT/lEe. NAC will revise and update guidelines periodically, considering scientific developments at the national or international level. Besides, it will set up standards for safety and quality, quality control, procedures for collection and its schedule, processing or preparation, expansion, differentiation, preservation for storage, removal from storage to assure quality and/or sterility of human tissue and prevention of infectious contamination or cross contamination during processing. carcinogenicity, xenotransplantation.The will also revise and update guidelines periodically, considering scientific developments at the national and international level.
Source:Pharmabiz
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