Iran makes significant progress in stem cell development and cell therapy

According to VNA correspondent in the Middle East, Iran has made significant progress in the field of stem cells and cell therapy, rising to 8th place in the world compared to 12th place last year.

Last year, Iran had only one cell therapy product on the market, ranking 12th in the world, said Mostafa Qanei, an official at the Office of the Vice President for Science and Technology. But this year, with five products, Iran has risen to eighth place globally.

“Our goal is to be among the top five countries in the world in this field, while eliminating the need for patients to go abroad for treatment,” Qanei said.

Saeed Sarkar, another official from the Office of the Vice President for Science and Technology, said there are 20 technology projects related to the health sector being implemented in Iran's current fiscal year, which ends in March 2026.

These projects include the production of drugs to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the development of early detection kits for gastrointestinal cancer and other health care products, which are expected to save about $40 million in foreign currency, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

Regarding medicinal herbs, Mr. Sarkar shared: "We are pursuing two main goals. The first is to improve the effectiveness of medicinal herbs through technologies such as nanotechnology, for example, using nano-capsules containing curcumin to increase absorption. The second is to conduct clinical trials to document the effectiveness of traditional medicine and submit the results to the Ministry of Health for verification."

Referring to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical field, Mr. Sarkar said: “We are deploying AI tools in areas such as diagnostic imaging (X-ray) and pathology. These devices will assist doctors in making more accurate diagnoses, reduce costs and increase access to medical services for people.”

He highlighted the huge potential of AI in the medical field, saying that the technology can improve the accuracy and speed of clinical decision-making while reducing treatment costs and risks.

In February, the IRNA news agency quoted Mehdi Pirsalehi, director of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration, as saying that the country had successfully produced cell therapy products approved by the US FDA. He said that some gene therapy products were also in the clinical trial stage.

Mr. Pirsalehi also emphasized Iran's scientific progress in the pharmaceutical field and the ability of Iranian scientists to develop modern techniques and apply artificial intelligence in the pharmaceutical industry./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/iran-dat-buoc-tien-dang-ke-trong-phat-trien-te-bao-goc-va-lieu-phap-te-bao-post1054984.vnp