The CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has partnered with Eyestem Research, wherein it will use Eyestem’s human lung epithelial cell culture system provided as part of its Anti-Covid screening (ACS) platform, to understand the molecular and pathological characteristics of the Covid-19 virus.

This engagement is with a view to establishing a rational basis for testing potential drugs in vitro.

Rakesh Mishra, Director of CCMB, said: “Culturing the virus outside the human host is a technological challenge that needs to be overcome. Eyestem’s cell culture system expresses the ACE2 receptor and other genes that are key determinants of viral entry and replication. We hope that employing this system will allow the CCMB team, led by Krishnan Harshan, to grow the virus predictably and thereby open up the potential for drug screening and vaccine development strategies.”

Jogin Desai, CEO of Eyestem said, “We are honoured to enter into this research collaboration with one of the premier scientific institutes in India. The ACS platform has been developed by Rajarshi Pal and his team and is a testament to our depth and expertise in cell therapy and disease modelling. We remain hopeful that CCMB will be able to leverage this platform and advance Covid research that will help humanity in India and abroad.”

CCMB has responded to the current crisis and was the first academic laboratory outside ICMR to initiate Covid-19 testing and kit validation. CCMB has also initiated a variety of new research projects on SARS-CoV2.

Eyestem Research Private Limited is a cell therapy start-up incubated at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, Bangalore. Its vision is to democratise access to cell therapy as well as disease modeling platforms and bring their benefit to a large section of humanity.