Thai Hospitals to Receive More Stem Cells

Thai Hospitals to Receive More Stem Cells

The Bangkok Post reported that stem cells developed by Mahidol University and the National Research Council of Thailand would be sent to hospitals for use in treatments. There is already a laboratory in existence to generate the cells, with a budget of 40 million baht (approximately 977,000 USD).

The cells being used are adult human stem cells from sources such as blood, bone marrow, and cord. According to Srisin Khunsmith, vice-president for research of Mahidol University, Thailand is not using hESCs (human embryonic stem cells) in its research. The article cites the case of a Thai woman who had a limbal stem cell transplant after going blind following a hospital procedure. Limbal stem cells, which are obtained from the limbus area between the cornea and sclera of the eye, have been used for several years in eye surgery and cornea transplantion.

Mahidol University joined with the University of Osaka in 2002 to form the Collaborative Research Center for BioScience and Biotechnology.