Chennai Wednesday 10th December 2008

Eye hospital ties up with Nichi-In Centre Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Rajan Eye Care Hospital on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), an Indo-Japan organisation working in stem cell research, translational studies and clinical application.

The agreement was signed by Mohan Rajan, Director, Rajan Eye Care; Srinivas K. Rao, corneal surgeon, Rajan Eye Care; and Sam Abraham of NCRM. Under this project, the clinical team will take up harvesting of mucosa from the cheek of the patient. With innovative techniques in the laboratory to multiply the cells, they will transfer them onto the eye with ocular surface disease. He claimed that it was the first time in the country that a unique gel would be used to facilitate the growth of cells.

Speaking to reporters after the MoU was signed, he said stem cell therapy had made inroads in ophthalmology.