Lok Sabha Question No. 1860 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Stem Cell Research
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Dhanush M Kumar, Gautham Sigamani Pon, Ganesan Selvam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1860 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH JULY, 2021

## STEM CELL RESEARCH

1860 SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

SHRI SELVAM G:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- ( a) the details of stem cell research undertaken in the country during each of the la years and the current year;
- ( b) whether  the  Government  is not  giving  support  and  encouragement  to  stem  cell treatment/therapy which is effective for treatment of cancer and other life threatening d
- ( c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons thereof and the corrective steps take regard;
- ( d) whether the  Government  has  not  issued  adequate  financial  allocation  for  stem  c research which has drastically affected stem research in the country, if so, the quantum released during last three years for the State of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu; and
- ( e) wh ether the Government has issued any guidelines to regulate stem cell research i country and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this reg

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY

## ANSWER WELFARE

(DR . BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  to  (c)          The  Government  of  India  has  undertaken  stem  cell  research  through  v Departments/ Institutions.

Department of Health Research -Indian Council of Medical Research (DHR -ICMR) is supporting biomedical  research  and stem  cell  is  one  of  the  priority  areas  promoted  through  centres advance research/excellence, task force activities in identified thematic areas, viz. B cell biology, Cancer stem cell, Translational research and Generation of induced pluripot nt stem cells (iPSC), open ended investigator initiated ad - hoc projects and fellowships for past twenty years. Many laboratories have been strengthened through above programmes.

Under  Stem  Cells  &  Regenerative  Medicine,  the  Department  of  Biotechnology  (DB T)  has implemented projects on embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Pro have been supported in areas of basic biology of stem cells; early and late translational developing  gene  editing  technology  for  potential  therape utic  applications;  creation  of  animal models for various human diseases and training programmes on various components of ste cells  and  regenerative  medicine.  Studies  have  also  been  implemented  to  develop  impro methods and techniques for isolating and c ulturing stem cells from different origin and also to generate induced pluripotent stem cells from various somatic/adult tissues.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its constituent laboratorie CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR -IGIB), New Delhi and CSIR -Indian Institute  of  Chemical  Biology  (CSIR -IICB),  Kolkata  has  undertaken  a  Sickle  Cell  Anemia Mission during FY 2017 -2020.

- (d)       Financial assistance for stem cell research activities is being pr ovided by the Government. Details of funds released to the States of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu during last three y as follows: -

(Rs. in Crores)

| State/UT    | Funds Allocated by ICMR   | Funds Allocated by DBT   |
|-------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
| Maharashtra | 0.233 (2019)              | 0.659(2018 - 19)         |
| Tamil Nadu  | 0.748(2019)               | 0.429(2018 - 19)         |
| Maharashtra | - (2020)                  | 0.981(2019 - 20)         |
| Tamil Nadu  | 0.245(2020)               | 5.606(2019 - 20)         |
| Maharashtra | 0.150(2021)               | 0.864(2020 - 21)         |
| Tamil Nadu  | -(2021)                   | 6.881(2020 - 21)         |

Further, budget released by CSIR during the FY 2017 - 18 to 2019 - 20 under Sickle Cell Anemia Mission is as under:

(Rs. in lakh)

| Lab         |   FY 2017-18 |   FY 2018-19 |   FY 2019-20 |
|-------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| CSIR - IGIB |      451.772 |      467.552 |       417.49 |
| CSIR - IICB |      199.988 |      119.988 |       114.99 |

- (e)          Government has supported the ethical and scientific conduct of stem cel through guidelines for stem cell research. These guidelines are available since 2007 an revised in 2013 and again in 2017 based on the advancement in the f ield and released as National Guidelines  for  Stem  Cell  Research  (NGSCR).  This  document  provides  guidance  to  al stakeholders including scientists, clinicians and industry and can be accessed online.

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