Long before I got my first job as a journalist, I developed the habit of scribbling any idea/thought/interesting information/intriguing theory/opinion. Till date, I can’t travel without a notepad in my bag though I have to admit, I am not as enthusiastic about scribbling as I used to be a few years ago. So anyway, let me stop digressing and come to the point. When we sat down at the beginning of the month to decide the September edition of Gobar Times, I flipped through the pages of my notebook and saw *stem cell* written in a bright red (I totally love red ink, by the way). Almost immediately, I remembered seeing an attractive stem cell ad featuring Lisa Ray—the petite and exuberant model/actresses who has been in the news after her triumphant victory over a deadly cancer.

There, we had an idea!

Quick reference to my lifeline (Google) and I was flooded with information on stem cell banking, research and therapy in India. Yeah, we all know how Lisa Ray has been very open about her fight with cancer. But I didn’t know it was stem cells that helped her get back to life after being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a rare ‘incurable’ form of blood cancer. She calls herself a ‘cancer graduate’ and that ad I saw earlier? Well, she is supporting menstrual blood stem cell banking—the latest from the world of stem cells. You might recall ads from the same company featuring the blonde Hrithik Roshan and his wife vouching for umbilical stem cell banking.

Yes, stem cells are of various kinds—embryonic (most controversial), umbilical and adult (Lisa Ray’s highly invasive treatment in Canada involved bone marrow stem cells). No, I didn’t know all this before I started work on the story. To understand the basics, I did (am actually still doing) interviews with stem cell banking set ups, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology developing programs to provide the public with information on current stem cell research world-wide, patients, doctors … phew! Let me not bore anyone with the details. Let’s skip to the highlights (Ah, don’t we all just love them?!).

The high point of my research for the story was when I met Dr Geeta Shroff. Visiting this Delhi doctor’s clinic in Green Park extension was like opening up the Pandora’s Box—emotionally and scientifically. I saw adults and children of all colours, race and age in the waiting hall—some on wheel chairs, others with crutches, some seemingly normal eating their nicely packed dal in a katori brought from home. My first reaction, I must confess, was of gratitude. Gratitude towards god.

And then when I met Dr Shroff, my brain was flooded with information and skepticism. She claims to have developed the technology to isolate embryonic stem cells, culture them prepare them for clinical application and store them in ready-to-use form.

And these stem cells in the ready-to-use form can apparently cure the most “incurable” diseases—including Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebral Palsy. Stem cells in a ready-to-use form (it’s almost like insulin!) sounds deadly dangerous. But I spoke to some patients present at the clinic, and almost all of them have benefited from the treatment. I am now waiting to speak to someone from the Indian Council of Medical Research, a biomedical research apex body to understand the mysteries of this therapy in particular and stem cells in general.

You see, Dr Shroff has applied for a patent and any article about her on the web is loaded with criticism and skepticism. But what if she has actually cracked the code? What if her claim that one cell line can treat the entire human population is proven true? What if her technology actually makes the words ‘incurable’ and ‘terminal’ obsolete?

While I was interviewing her, she asked me if her office could record the interview. I understood they didn’t want to take chances with this random journalist (me) and agreed—though it did bother me a bit. But hey, what the heck! If she makes it big, I could too. That reminds me. I should call her office and ask them to send me a copy of the tape! Oh gosh, I love my job!