States vie for stem-cell scientists

Much of that battle is being waged in state capitals.

At the forefront, seven big states are leading the world in political and financial support for embryonic stem-cell research.

Their goal: Attract the best stem-cell scientists from around the globe and become a hub for a multi-billion-dollar bioscience industry. So far, their plan appears to be working.

Stem Cell: The Body As Clinic

Dr. Balasubramanian outlines some of the emerging focus areas for SCT and research in India: "One is retinal reconstruction, Dr Taraprasad and Dr Geetha at lvpei are working on it; Dr Madhuri Bihari of AIIMS is pushing the case of neuro-muscular difficulties; Dr Shiv Sarin at the G.B.Pant Hospital in Delhi is routing for liver, and a clutch of hospitals with CMC Vellore are looking at heart. We are most likely to make good progress over the years in these areas." But diabetes is not yet a thrust area though there is a high incidence of it in India. Dr Balasubramanian says it is still a big question whether stem cell biology is required at all to tackle it. "But there are two or three centres looking into this area too," he noted.