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ABSTRACT

Genetic and cellular repository of patients with mental health problems to be set up at NIMHANS Recent data suggest that the burden of non-communicable diseases in India is on the rise. Mental health problems constitute an important cause of morbidity. In his ceremonial address at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, convocation on 13 February 2016, the Union Health Minister stated that NIMHANS will be hosting the genetic and cellular repository of patients with mental health problems under the mission of the Prime Minister under the programme ‘Accelerating the application of stem cell technology in human disease’. The repository, the first-of-its-kind in the country will be a collaborative effort involving Bengaluru-based institutions—NIMHANS, National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, among others. Dr S.K. Shankar, Emeritus Professor of Neuropathology at NIMHANS told this correspondent, ‘The international project on longitudinal study of a cohort of patients with genetic neurological disorders is under Professor Sanjeev Jain, Department of Psychiatry and Dr Panicker and scientists from NCBS working on stem cells. The study is unique, in that they will be studying blood samples of the same subject in a longitudinal way over time; thus the changes in the genetic makeup can be recognized. Till date, there have been only one-point studies, thus not addressing the longitudinal progression of the disease and probable genetic alteration during the course of the disease. For this purpose, establishing a DNA bank to collect multiple blood samples from subjects, store and analyse them …will give an insight into genetic alterations that may occur with the progression of the neurological/psychiatric disorders. This is the first effort of its kind in the country and may inspire others to undertake studies on longitudinal cohorts. This [is a] unique and valuable study . . . This is another facet of bio-banking with stress on genetic alterations.