Mon, Nov 9 09:48 AM

R Satyanarayana Chennai, Nov 9 (PTI) Stems cell developed in laboratories could help in treating some types of blood cancer in the near future, says Japanese stem cell scientist Yukio Nakamura. Blood cancers such as aplastic anaemia (a deficiency of red blood cells) and thalassemia (an inherited form of anaemia caused by faulty synthesis of haemoglobin) can be treated by the stem cell technology.

"The technology, developed by Japanese scientists, does not involve usage of embryonic stem cells and therefore, is devoid of ethical conflicts", Nakamura, who is the head of Bio Resources Centre, Riken Institute, Japan told PTI here. Nakamura was in the city recently to participate in an international stem cell meet, organised by the Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), a Indo-Japan joint venture institute.

Explaining the stem cell process, he said, "After eliminating blood cancer cells by anti-cancer chemicals, normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are also eliminated". Thus, HSC transplantation is necessary.

Since HSCs are present in bone marrow or umbilical cord blood, bone marrow transplantation or umbilical cord blood transplantation is useful. "Since HSCs can be produced from embryonic stem cells, it can be applied in the clinic for therapy of blood cancer".