World Class Research

A memorandum of understanding was signed by Prof. H. N. Madhavan, Director of Research, Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya and Prof. Yuichi Mori, Advanced Research Centre for Science & Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

Prof. Mori, a polymer scientist and CEO of Mebiol, Inc., Japan, has developed several products using polymer material for medical use. He has to his credit more than 245 research publications and over 95 patents. Among them is the newly developed Mebiol gel. This is an aqueous solution of thermo reversible gelation polymer (TGP), which turns into hydorgel upon heating and liquefies upon cooling.

The MOU was signed for a study on the influence of Mebiol Gel in the cultivation of animal and human cells and viral infections. At our L&T Microbiology Research Centre, Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, a study was carried out to determine the influence exerted by the gel on the growth of the standard continuous tissue and cell cultures maintained in the tissue culture laboratory. Six of them were selected for the variability of their origin in relation to species, organ tissue and the tissue type such as from normal and malignant tissues. It was found that Mebiol gel does have varying influences on the growth characteristics of these cell lines.

The experiments designed in this study could be used for studies at the molecular levels of cells migrating out of the gel, by collecting them at intervals of time of their growth. As the gel is found to have selective effect in allowing the growth of cells outside its own environment, the method can be used for selectively growing cells from organ tissues. The future use of the gel in such respects is enormous. Since the study at the L&T Microbiology Research Centre, has shown results of great value, the agreement between Vision Research Foundation, Chennai, India and Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan was reached for in vitro studies on the characteristics of growth of cells from eye tissues and animal cells using Mebiol Gel.

In this research project with Waseda Univeristy and Mebiol Inc., it is proposed that we:

1) determine the growth characteristics of cells from the continuous cell & tissue cultures using Mebiol Gel
2) determine the growth characteristics of cells from the tissues of the eye using Mebiol Gel
3) study the growth characteristics of viruses in specific cell types with in the environment of Mebiol Gel

Also present at the February 9, 2004 signing were the Consul General of Japan, Mr. Kikichi and Dr. Samuel J.K. Abraham, cardio vascular surgeon from Yamanashi Medical University, Japan.