AKU Receives Rs14.5 Million Grant For “Stem Cells” Research

Agha Khan University (AKU) Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Research (CRM) has received an Rs14.5 million grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) to research and develop new therapies for a common form of blood cancer in adults, Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) leukemia.

The HEC’s flagship National Research Program for Universities has announced the grant as per their initiative to support high-level and promising scientific research projects.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are raw materials that can develop into many different cell types and are able to replace the damaged or lost cells in the human body.

Why the research is important?

The study can help understand the process of creating new cells, tissues, and organs. It can also provide treatment for patients with severe blood conditions.

The chromosomal defect is known as the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) is a characteristic of two important types of blood cancer include chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL).

The researchers from AKU are trying to develop a more effective treatment through their research to combat the disease by engineering stem cells directly to the leukemia cells and the grant would play a vital role in the process.

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The principal investigator of the study, Dr. Afsar Mian, has maintained that the study aims to combine the approaches in molecular medicine and stem cell therapy to create a more intensive treatment that would be more convenient for the patient.

“We are anticipating that once introduced, the stem cells will grow and multiply in the body and continuously release the therapeutic peptide to target the cancer cells, inhibit their growth and ultimately cure the disease.”