Health

The procedure reportedly involved transplantation of both organs from a deceased donor. This makes the achievement not only a surgical milestone but also a powerful reminder of the importance of organ donation in India. In transplant medicine, the availability of organs is often the difference between prolonged suffering and a second chance at life. India has steadily expanded its transplant capabilities, but deceased donor availability remains a major challenge, especially for complex multi-organ procedures such as pancreas-kidney transplantation.

CAR-T cell therapy is one of the most advanced forms of cancer immunotherapy. In this approach, a patient’s own T cells are collected, genetically modified in the laboratory, and trained to recognise specific markers on cancer cells before being infused back into the patient. Once inside the body, these engineered immune cells can identify and attack cancer cells more precisely. Mayo Clinic describes CAR-T as a therapy in which cells from the body are genetically changed so they can fight cancer, especially blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

The GenomeIndia project is one of the country’s most ambitious scientific efforts to map the genetic diversity of Indian populations. Funded by the Department of Biotechnology, the project aims to build a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variations that reflect India’s unique population structure. The official GenomeIndia portal states that 20,000 samples have been collected from 83 diverse populations, while whole genome sequencing has been completed for 10,000 samples.

A major highlight of the event was the transfer of three ICMR-developed technologies to industry through licensing agreements under ICMR’s Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative. The first technology, a cost-effective PSP94 ELISA designed to help guide prostate biopsy decisions in patients with PSA levels below 20 ng/ml, was developed at ICMR–National Institute for Research in Women’s Health by Dr. Dhanashree Jagtap, Dr. Smita Mahale and Dr. Bhakti Pathak. It was licensed to Krishgen Labs Pvt. Ltd.