The colloquium on ‘Stem cell research and human therapeutics’ conducted at Sri Venkateswara University here on Saturday saw a promising future for the technology in the forthcoming decades.

Eminent scientists presented their innovative research work on stem cell at the event, which was organised jointly by SVU’s DST-PURSE (Department of Science and Technology’s Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence) centre and Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Chennai.

SVU Vice-Chancellor W. Rajendra in his inaugural address suggested interdisciplinary approach in areas of science so as to benefit the research community at large.

Hype factor

SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor B. Vengamma said the stem cell research could be of great relevance in the coming decades but felt that certain institutions are creating hype and resorting to tall talk as to offering cure to certain ailments through stem cell technology.

In his talk on ‘Physico-chemical nurturing of the cell - the tool for regenerative medicine’, Samuel Abraham, Director of Nichi-In’s Chennai centre, shared his experience on chemically-synthesised polymers and nanomaterial-based scaffolds allowing an in-vitro expansion of the cells such as corneal limbal stem cells, corneal endothelial precursors and chondrocytes in the lab.

SVU College of Sciences principal K.V.S. Sarma presided over the meeting while organising secretary D.V.R. Sai Gopal welcomed the gathering.

Joint organising secretary M. Bhaskar proposed a vote of thanks.

In the technical session that followed, Saravana Ganesh, cardiac surgeon at SRM University Hospital (Chennai), V. Surya Prakash, professor of urology and renal transplantation at Narayana Medical College (Nellore), M. Balamurugan, professor of pathology at Tagore Medical College (Chennai), Senthil Kumar Rajappa of Nichi-In Centre and PVGK Sarma, head of Biotechnology at SVIMS (Tirupati), spoke.