Press release - 30th March 2006
Indo-Japanese Collaboration in Providing Cell Therapeutics for Cancer and Immune disorders
March 06, Chennai based Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) today signed an agreement for a technical collaboration with Tokyo based Biotherapy Institute of Japan (BIJ) in providing Cell Therapeutics to cancer patients and to pursue research on expanding the same to those afflicted with HIV.
The body’s innate immune mechanism acts against tumor cells (cancer) and viruses by certain subset of T Lymphocytes such as Natural Killer Cells (NK Cells), Dentritic Cells (DCs) and Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTLs) as well as activation of lymphocytes by several mechanisms involving cytokines. The above cells actually kill the viruses and tumor cells which is a routine process in the body. But when the immune system is severely affected or the disease process is immense and beyond the control of the body’s immune mechanisms, the activation of the lymphocytes and multiplication of the NK cells, DCs and CTLs in vitro (Outside the body – in the laboratory) becomes essential. Such in vitro activation of the immune cells has been in practice in Japan, USA and several developed nations and M/S Biotherapy Institute of Japan have been practicing this treatment for more than a decade in Japan for patients with Cancer of Liver, Lungs, Pancreas, Breast, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Malignant Melanoma, Lymphomas and blood cancers with relatively good results and above all since this treatment uses the patients own cells taken from the peripheral blood, doesn’t have any rejection problem.
NCRM, having signed a collaborative agreement with BIJ would be bringing the technology which is known as Autologous Immune Enhancement Therapy (AIET) to India which would benefit patients suffering from above cancers and also immune deficiencies.
Dr. Hiroshi Terunuma, a cell biologist turned immunologist, technical director of BIJ and Dr Samuel JK. Abraham, of Dept of Cardiac Surgery, Yamanashi University also Director, NCRM would be in-charge of the project in Japan and India respectively.
