Cell transplantation in clinical practice: Royan institute experiences

Abstract One of the fields of medicine that has raised the most expectations in Iran is cell therapy, using somatic or stem cells. The word “cell therapy” refers a series of procedures, which are used to separate and transplant cells in target tissues. However, in the absence of a current consensus on a approved protocol to isolation and identify suitable cells, the most methods in this field are under research yet. Royan Institute, as a leading center in stem cell research, in Iran, simultaneous with global research and increasing the knowledge about stem cells, the first Royan clinical trial in cell therapy field was done in 2004, which was designed and implemented for application of stem cells in patients with recent heart attack. During implementation of this project, at least three other projects were added to the list of Royan institute clinical trials. Two years later, Royan institute started to established GMP facilities for cell culture. By the end of year 2008, increasing number of clinical trials from 4 to 10 studies and termination of investigating stages of using Melanocytes for treatment of vitilligo disease and Limbal stem cells culture for using in patients with Limbal disease, led to establishment of a center for providing medical services to the patients. Now Royan institute in Regenerative department are doing more than 20 NIH registered clinical trials and there are some result in heart, bone, cartilage, limbal, liver and skin field, which will be presented in this lecture.