India: Op-Ed: Selling stem cells

December 13, 2007

. . . there are pitfalls, in the form of false claims, unethical methods to get quick results or unregulated practices to harvest these miracle cells. Even as scientists and lay men alike remain divided on the hype, hope and ethical issues surrounding stem cells and cloning, countries have evolved their own policies, ranging from permissive to restrictive. In a recent development, India too has taken significant steps in this direction. The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has jointly formulated draft guidelines for stem cell research. “The Department of Biotechnology and ICMR has agreed on the guidelines for stem cells and the final guidelines will be made public on November 8, 2007,” declared Dr NK Ganguly, Director General, ICMR. (Express Pharma)