India
India, Britain to collaborate on stem cell research
By IANS
Feb 24, 2006, 02:30

India and Britain are likely to collaborate soon on stem cell research and clinical trials for finding cures to various illnesses, British Science and Technology Minister Lord David Sainsbury said here Tuesday.

"Britain has just formulated a 10-year plan for stem cell research and how we can develop it into clinical treatment," Sainsbury told reporters during an interactive meeting.

"We desire that both countries should link up in research and development and set up stem cell banks and collaborate for access to cell lines in the bank. This needs (the sorting out of) regulation issues."

Britain, under its new stem cell research policy, has evolved a detailed plan for carrying out clinical trials through its National Health Service, while India still needs to finalise its guidelines, Sainsbury said.

"We are waiting for India to sort out regulation and ethical issues on stem cells and cell lines. The British stem cell bank is waiting for the (Indian) Department of Biotechnology to set up a stem cell bank here and we will be willing to help with that."

During a workshop held in India last year, scientists of both countries had expressed their desire to collaborate in stem cell research.

"Work on that proposal has been taken forward. Another visit by British scientists is planned later this year," said Mark Runacres, Britain's deputy high commissioner.

Since his arrival in India Feb 16, Sainsbury has been visiting premier state-run and private institutions like the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, AstraZeneca India, Avesthagen, Infosys Technologies and National Centre for Biological Sciences to study the prospects for collaboration.

In Delhi, Sainsbury is scheduled to meet Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal Wednesday to discuss ways of collaboration between Indian and British universities and centres of excellence for wealth creation and improving quality of life.

Officials said there was growing interest in Britain about research being conducted at Indian institutions as well as collaborating on commercialisation of innovations and new technologies.

This is led to a large number of Indian companies, including start up ventures, establishing a presence in Britain. There are nearly 500 Indian companies with a base in Britain, two-thirds of them in the ICT and software fields.

"India's fast growing biotechnology sector is also showing interest in Britain with companies looking for partnership opportunities for contract research and bio-informatics," said Sainsbury.

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