Frontier Tissueline, TICEL Biopark

The bioscience unit of Frontier Lifeline, the first of its kind in the country, was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on 2nd October 2004. This unit named ‘FRONTIER TISSUELINE’, the in-house R & D of Frontier Lifeline started its main research unit at TICEL Bio Park, Taramani, Chennai on 8th July 2006. This unit is dedicated to undertake advanced research in Tissue Engineering and Biological Cardiovascular Implants. Research and Applications in Stem Cell, the making of viable scaffolds of autografts and umbilical cord blood storage also constitute some of the core activities of this unit. Bio-Informatics and Computational Biology are recent additions to the activities undertaken here.

Periodic scientific seminars are conducted for the bioscience students with “hands-on” experience for the M. Tech Medical Biotechnology students of IIT, Chennai delivered by expert scientists. The M. Tech Medical Biotechnology in collaboration with IIT, Chennai, is a unique program where students will qualify as the best biotechnologists with expertise. Developing biological implants and devices to perfection for human use has already been initiated by making biocompatible xenografts and patches. These grafts have saved many children’s lives, who would otherwise have succumbed to heart disease. Frontier Tissueline also includes in its functions biological and development of biocompatible synthetic valved conduits as another achievement of this unit. The bio-science unit aspires to grow in the fields of immunology, virology, bioinformatics and proteomics. Frontier Tissueline has researchers with Ph. D. degrees from esteemed institutions in different fields apart from their highest degree in their specialized fields. Recently, the first Ph. D. degree for Cardiothoracic Surgery awarded to Dr. Sanjay Cherian from the Dr. M. G. R. Medical University has enhanced the list.

The esteemed members of the unit headed by Dr. K. M. Cherian look forward to India’s first Bio-Science Park which will provide expert training in this field to the whole of South East Asia.
Frontier Tissueline, the in-house R&D Unit of Frontier Lifeline, has established the first-of-its-kind, research bioscience laboratory at TICEL Bio-park, Chennai. It has vast experience in the processing of economically viable and biocompatible biological tissue. In the pilot clinical trials conducted at our center, we have succeeded in processing and testing pulmonary arteries, cardiovascular patches and conduits.

The following implants have been used in patients for various ailments since 2004.

All the above-mentioned products were developed by our research team at Frontier Tissueline and they have demonstrated that the usage of these state–of–the–art tissue products have an advantage over synthetic grafts. These tissues are de-cellularized to prevent adverse rejection and immunosuppressants.

The usage of synthetic grafts has its own demerits such as the need for long-term anti-coagulation therapy and re-operation in the later part of life as the child grows. These biologically tested tissue products developed in this manner are superior to synthetic grafts besides being economically feasible too.

Dr. Soma Guhathakurta, Director and Research Coordinator, Frontier Tissueline, has structured the cost of these products which reduces the cost of cardiovascular surgery drastically (i.e. from Rs. 2,75,000/- for imported conduits, to Rs. 20,000/- for indigenous conduits produced by Frontier Lifeline).

The research arm of Frontier Lifeline has cultured cardiac myocytes from bone marrow stem cells of sheep and the cells have been noted to contract at the rate of 38 beats/minute. It is possible that gene therapy and stem cell technology might formulate new ways for constructing biological pacemakers responsible for conduction of electrical impulses in the heart.

For further information, kindly contact the following:

• Dr Soma Guhathakurta, MS MCh Director & Coordinator – Research
  at 2254 2966 from 11.30a.m.- 6p.m. (Mon.- Sat.)