Reliance Life Sciences is developing a wide range of novel research-led, autologous and allogenic cell therapies and tissue engineered products, with the objective of bringing about an era of regenerative medicine.

Under the Regenerative Medicine initiative, several groups work in the areas of:

• Embryonic Stem Cells
• Ocular Stem Cells
• Haematopoietic Stem Cells
• Skin and Tissue Engineering
• Assisted Reproduction

Cell-based therapies from Reliance Life Sciences aim to meet unmet patient needs in the areas of:

• Cardiac Disorders
• Neural Degeneration
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Metabolic Disorders
• Ophthalmic Diseases
• Congenital Hematological Diseases like Thalassemia
• Hematological Diseases
• Oncological Diseases
• Burns and Wound Management
• Diabetic and Venous Ulcers other chronic non healing ulcers
• Skin Pigmentation Disorders
• Orthopaedic and Cartilage Disorders
• Infertility Disorders

Reliance Life Sciences currently markets the following regenerative medicine products and services:

• Stem cell therapies


• ReliNethra^® (Autologous limbal stem cells graft)


• CardioRel^® (Autologous cardiomyocytes)


• Tissue engineering products


• ReliHeal^® - G (Biopolymer wound management product)

The Regenerative Medicine initiative of Reliance Life Sciences is uniquely integrated horizontally across several cell biology disciplines, and vertically, from repository infrastructure through basic and applied research to clinical research and cell processing cGMP suites.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Reliance Life Sciences is the pioneer in Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research in India and is involved in developing cell therapies to address neural, cardiac and metabolic disorders. Given the huge disease burden and the need for affordable diagnostics and therapies in India, the group aims to come up with better and cost-effective ways to treat people or even treat previously untreated conditions. Research focus is on discovery and establishment of several fully characterized human ESC lines.


Recognised by the National Institutes of Health, USA, Reliance Life Sciences fully complies with the criteria for derivation of human embryonic stem cells of NIH (USA) and ICMR (India). Cell lines have also been deposited with ATCC.

Areas of research are:

• Derivation, characterization and maintenance of human embryonic stem cell lines
• Differentiation of human Embryonic Stem Cells into neural, cardiac, pancreatic and hepatic lineages
• Testing of cells of various types derived from Embryonic Stem Cells for preclinical efficacy and toxicity.
• Development of cell based therapies for metabolic disorders, neuro-degeneration and cardiac disorders
• Conduct of clinical trials on the cell based applications following the Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines.

The various stem cell-based activities undertaken by the group is approved and monitored by an Institutional Committee for Stem Cell Research and Technology (ICSCRT), in accordance with the existing guidelines.

Embryonic Stem Cell lines from Reliance Life Sciences are available for research purposes from the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India. Please email Director, NCCS at gcmishra@nccs.res.in

Ocular Stem Cells

Reliance Life Sciences is involved in developing cell-based therapies for Ocular Surface Disorders, Diabetic Retinopathy and age-related Macular Degeneration.

Reliance Life Sciences also provides autologous stem cell processing services for Unilateral Limbal Stem Cell disorders.

Other areas of research include:

• Usage of allogenic Limbal stem cells
• Conjunctival Stem Cells transplantation
• Retinal Epithelial Stem Cells
• Bio-engineered Cornea

Haematopoietic Stem Cells / Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Reliance Life Sciences is involved in developing cell therapies for several disorders including but not limited to cardiac, neural, orthopaedic and cartilage disorders using Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy can be used for the treatment of various types of cardiac, neural and vascular diseases. Diseases that could be treated by Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplantation include Thalassemia, Fanconi's Anemia, Hurlers Syndrome, Sickle Cell Anemia, Acute Myeloid and Lymphoid Leukemias, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Hodgkins Lymphoma and Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia.

Areas of research include :

• Development of autologous bone-marrow Mesenchymal cells for treatment of myocardial injury
• Neural cells derived from cord blood Mesenchymal cells for treatment of brain stroke
• Chondrocytes derived from autologous healthy cartilage for treatment of cartilage disorders
• Osteocytes derived from bone-marrow Mesenchymal cells for treatment of bone disorders
• Development of allogenic umbilical cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells based treatment of neural, vascular and cardiac disorders
• In vitro expansion of bone marrow and cord blood derived Haematopoietic Stem Cells

Tissue Engineering

Reliance Life Sciences is involved in developing cell therapies for the management of wounds such as burns, non-healing ulcers (diabetic foot ulcers and venous ulcers) and for treatment of vitiligo.

Areas of research :

• Biopolymers for protein or cell delivery to manage wound healing
• Biopolymers for cosmetic applications
• Tissue Engineered products for skin-related conditions, Osteoarthritis and urinary incontinence
• Scaffolds for cell or protein delivery
• Wound healing products
• Haemostatic bandages