AIIMS ties up with Ohio university for regenerative centre

A Regenerative Medicine Centre will soon come up at the newly inaugurated Convergence Block of AIIMS to treat those suffering from health issues like damanged or infected skin tissue and also to solve shortage of certain organs in the country.
The regenerative medicine centre will be set up in collaboration with US-based Ohio University.
"The rapidly growing problem of organ dysfunction or damage due to aging, cancer, trauma and metabolic diseases can be effectively managed by replacing it by tissue engineered scaffold with impregnated stem cells," said AIIMS Director Dr M C Mishra addressing the Indo-US Symposium on Regenerative Medicine and Wound Care at AIIMS here today.

Apart from that, this medical advancement is going to be a boon for acid attack victims as their damaged skin can be healed and repaired," Mishra said.
Regenerative medicine involves therapeutic practice with application of tissue engineering, stem cell, molecular and cell biology technology.
Now in USA and European countries engineered skin, bone, cartilage, trachea and other tissues are available impregnated with stem cells for replacing the damaged organ. In India none of the medical institutes have created the facility for practice of regenerative medicine.

The national facility for Regenerative Medicine at 9th floor of Convergence Block and Trauma Center of AIIMS will be the first of its kind in India.

AIIMS and Ohio University have already initiated collaborative project for managing diabetic foot ulcer with engineered cell based therapy.
Dr Misra stressed on the importance of practice of regenerative medicine that will improve significantly morbidity and mortality.
"AIIMS is interested to initiate this advanced therapeutic practice with a special focus on skin development and on its affordability in Indian scenario. This therapeutic technology will be recreated in other AIIMS institutions and leading medical institutions in our country.
"Skin tissue engineering for cost effective management of burn and chronic wounds. Bone, vessel and tracheal tissue engineering for trauma and cancer patients will be developed in future," he said.

The Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery in 2014 concluded that India alone witnesses around 9-10 lakh burn injuries annually leading to damage of skin and organs. Also as per the health ministry estimates, over 500,000 people die each year because of non-availability of organs.
The project will be funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).