Considering the mushrooming of stem cell clinics offering "cures" for conditions ranging from diabetes to autism across the country, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) have come up with guidelines on who can conduct research in this sphere, when and how. Moreover, the draft, for the first time, provides guidelines for cutting-edge gene editing techniques.Giving a three-page list of conditions for which stem cells can be offered, the draft omits conditions such as motor neuron disease, mental retardation or muscular dystrophy . It makes it clear that doctors should stick to their specialty. "Doctors cannot criss-cross areas of specialization," said ICMR deputy director general Dr Geeta Jotwani. "At present, there are orthopaedic surgeons who offer so-called stem cell therapy for neurological problems or vice-versa. We are now clearly saying that only clinicians with subject domain can offer clinical trials."

The 40-page draft is available on the ICMR and DBT's websites, and is open to public comments and concerns till July 31. "Stem cells have a lot of potential in disease management. Our last guidelines came out in 2013, but a lot has changed since then, making us feel the need to update our guidelines. We want to encourage people to do research in stem cells, but at the same time want to ensure nothing unethical is carried out," ICMR director general Dr Soumya Swaminathan told TOI.

On the mention of gene editing techniques, she said, "We want our researchers to take up work in this field. US researchers have been working on gene editing for cancer, HIV, etc, but we in India haven't yet come to that point. We have included CRISPR-Cas9 (gene editing tool) in the guidelines, but only for research in somatic (normal or non-reproductive) cells."

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Read these new rules before going in for a 'stem cell cure' - Times of India