History of NCRM
1988 - A team of researchers headed by Prof. Yuichi Mori of Waseda University, started working on developing non-biological substrates for clinically usable cell culture
1992 - Dr Hiroshi Yoshioka et al standardize certain Thermoreversible gelation polymer material and processing technology which could yield certain advantagoeus results with clinically usable cells- expansion and preservation with longer viability.
1995 - The toxicity studies related to the materials and processing is cleared by the Japanese institutes and other authorities and several universities and laboratories start using the technology in their experiments ((St. Marianna University- Prof. S. Kubota, Tokyo University- Dr. Hishikawa, Institute of Infectious Diseases- Dr. Suzuki, Jikei University Dr. Murayama, Harvard Medical School- Dr. Koji Kojima ).
1998 - Mr Morozumi Yoshio, then director of Kyowa Medical Corporation visits India and interacts with several institutes and private business organizations to know about the Indian health care scenario.
1999 - Dr Samuel JK Abraham, starts interacting with Prof. Mori, Dr Noishiki et al for the clinical application of a Ultra-fine filament polyester based vascular graft and its value addition with several coatings.
2004 - A formal agreement with Sankara Nethralaya was signed and a research on Corneal limbal epithelial stem cells was started.
2000 - In India, a private organization is registered under the name "Nichi-In Bio Sciences Pvt Ltd" with Japanese equity participation for taking the Japanese technology to several health care applications.
2002 - An informal collaboration starts with M/S Vision Research Foundation, Sankara nethralaya starts for research using the technology and materials handed over by M/S Nichi-In Bio Sciences Pvt Ltd.
The first Indo-Japan research collaboration thus started with Vision Research Foundation- Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai (Dr.H.N.Madhavan et al) on corneal limbal stem cells. Followed by the inventions made with their association, the collaboration expanded to Hepatology with the Centre for Liver Reasearch & Diagnostics, Hyderabad (Dr.C.M.Habibullah et al) and in plant biotechnology with Vivekananda College, Chennai (Dr.Sivasubramaniam et al).
Prof. Yuichi Mori (Extreme right), exchanging a MoU with
Dr H.N. Madhavan (Extreme left) of Sankara Nethralaya,
witnessed by His excellency the Consul general Japan
Mr. Ryuzo Kikuchi (Third from left); Feb 2004.
Dr. Hiroshi Yoshioka (3rd from left) during his visit to India in March 05 with Dr. C.M Habibullah (4th from left) & Dr. Aleem Khan
(5th from left) of Centre for Liver Research & Diagnostics, and Dr Shashi Singh (Extreme right) of CCMB Hyderabad.
With the frontiers of cell therapeutics expanding, and our research results throwing a lot of hope in various specialties of healthcare, we visualized a need for such cutting-edge technology, which should be further explored standardized and also training and exposure given to scientists and physicians for taking the benefits of such advancement to clinical application. Moreover, the existing gap between clinicians and basic researchers has to be removed to achieve the same.
With this background, we conceptualized the idea of starting an exclusive centre for Regenerative Medicine in India, with the help of Mr. Morozumi Yoshio, a veteran in health care projects. It is likely to be the first such centre in the country, and the centre started functioning from September 2005.
Apart from working in specialties of medicine like Ophthalmology, Hepatology, AIET for cancer, we are also expanding our geographical and scientific territories by aligning collaborations with like minded, technologically sound institutes.
To know more about the further milestones after inauguration please click here
The Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) will act as a platform to bridge the gap between clinicians and basic researchers in giving life to ideas from clinicians with the know-how of scientists. Apart from overseeing the collaborative research works between India and Japan will also be accomplishing research in cell therapeutics, train young scientists and develop protocols for clinical application of the research benefits to cure various illnesses using stem cells
Immortal are our visions that we hope would keep immortal, the hope of many.
