TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran inaugurated the country's first cellular therapy center in Royan institute in a bid to treat refractory diseases in the near future.

"Iran is one of the leading countries in the decade-old science of live cell therapy," press tv quoted the Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Kamran Bagheri Lankarani as saying at the opening ceremony.

Lankarani added that the center would revolutionize this science and hoped that with the use of adult bone marrow cells and fetus stem cells certain diseases would soon become treatable.

The dean of the Royan institute, Hamid Gourabi Abraz for his part said that Iran is capable of treating heart injury and performing corneal transplants with stem cells.



"Stem cells are also used to produce insulin producing cells, red blood cells, neurons, heart muscles, cornea, and liver and bone tissue," added Gourabi.

He further announced that Iranian researchers are working on using stem cells to treat spinal injury, liver cirrhosis, bone and cartilage diseases and strokes.

... Payvand News - 12/30/08 ... --