CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) announced on Monday to set up an umbilical cord cell bank for animals, a day after it claimed a breakthrough in autologous stem cell-based therapy for animals by treating a dog which had a spinal cord injury.
"For the first time in the country, after using autologous (patient derived) stem cell therapy for management of a dog's spinal cord injury, we plan to set up an umbilical cord cell bank for animals, especially for dogs and horses," TANUVAS Vice Chancellor Dr P Thangaraju told reporters.
Stating that the bank would help treat animals through stem cell procedure, he said the bank would comprise a high-tech laboratory for conducting tests in that area.
"We are going to submit a big project on stem cell research to the Department of Bio-technology this month at New Delhi. The expert committee of this department will go through the papers and soon give us a permission to do research," he said.
Thangaraju said TANUVAS has also requested for about Rs 24 crore from the Department to explore possibilities in stem cell procedures to treat animals.
He said TANUVAS would organise a two-day international seminar on 'Frontiers of Stem Cell and Bio-technology in Human and Veterinary Medicine' from July 15 for undergraduate and post graduate students of veterinary, human medicine, dental, biotechnology and life sciences.
"More than 300 students from across the country and abroad are expected to participate in the event, during which more than 30 research papers on stem cell will be submitted," he said.
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