The government of Bangladesh has shown interest to use medical biotechnology for development in health and nutrition sector and has developed the first National Guideline on Medical Biotechnology in 2006. Later the guideline was revised and republished as gazette on
21 December, 2010. Six Successive meetings of National Technical Committee on Medical Biotechnology (NTCMB) were held between 2004 and 2012 with direct recommendation of National Executive Committee on Biotechnology (NECMB) and supervision of National Taskforce on Biotechnology of Bangladesh (NTBB) with Honorable Prime Minister as chair that ended up with the establishment of Center for Medical Biotechnology at Institute of Public Health Building in 2012. National Guidelines on Medical Biotechnology 2010 includes guidelines to implement provisions in National Biotechnology Policy and describes deliverables for short, medium & long term goals. With a view to implement these goals, Medical Biotechnology program was included in HIS & e-Health OP, HPNSDP 2011-16. CMBT signed memorandum of understanding with Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiative (ideSHi). In collaboration with ideSHi, CMBT is currently running 2 separate laboratories namely Genetics & Genomics Laboratory (Ground Floor) and Infectious Disease Laboratory (2nd Floor). Short & Medium Term Deliverables in National MBT Guideline:Center for MBTSituation analysisDevelop MBT PlanCapacity buildingIdentify career group & train them gradually:
-Sensitization / orientation training / workshops
-Update medical curriculum
-Create resource in medical libraries
-Introduce PG & Tech courses
-Lab facilities & clinical services
-Epidemiological surveillanceR&D environment
-Research grants
-Center of Excellence
-Department of MBT in NIBNetworking & Communication
-Link with local potential groups
-Link with internal potential groupsPublic awareness programsRegulatory measures
-Standards, codes of practice & regulatory framework for MBT
Long Term Deliverable in National Guideline 2010:
Create conditions for taking the MBT in Bangladesh
to a globally competitive level in terms of:
Initiatives & infrastructures
Industries, labs & services
Products & services
Higher education & research base
Till today over 1500 stakeholders,professors, physicians, journalists, entrepreneurs, scientists and members of Medical Curriculum Committee were trained through various training and workshops including core committee meeting, consultative workshop for updating Medical Curriculum, training workshop for journalists, sensitization workshop and 14 days Hands-on Training for Teachers and Scientists. MBT related books were distributed among 37 Medical University, Medical Colleges and other Health Science Institutes and necessary equipment for Biotechnology lab were distributed among different institutes. CMBT has conducted several activities in 2015-2016 sessions as following:
1. Training/Workshops on medical biotechnology supported with HPNSDP fund (2015-2016):
-14 days Hands-on training for medical Teachers
and Scientists- total participants 70
-2 days consultative and orientation program for medical teachers- total participants 240
2. An equipment set of 23 instruments related to medical biotechnology has been supplied to 4 medical colleges which are, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Chittagong Medical College and two institutes with are CMBT-ideSHi and National Institute of Preventive Social Medicine.
3. Formation of local Medical Biotechnology committee comprising 8 members at 8 medical colleges to build their capacity through hands on training and motivation for running related activities properly and provide diagnostic service to the people.
4. Formation of local Medical Biotechnology Unit with a separate laboratory including necessary equipment at 12 medical colleges which will serve for both academic and clinical purpose.
5. Completion and submission of Development Project Proforma for conversion of Center for Medical Biotechnology to National Center for Medical Biotechnology as a center of excellence where academic and clinical service will be provide to develop our national capability in this sector and take it to internationally competitive level.
6. PhD students doing their thesis at CMBT in collaboration with ideSHi:
Research Title: Development of non invasive diagnostic method for prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome and Thalassemias. Dr. Nusrat Sultana,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Virology,
Dhaka Medical College
Research Title: Profiling of cutoff values of amino acids and acylarnitines, for universal screening of inborn errors of metabolism
Suprovath Kumar Sarker
Research Fellow,
ideSHi
7. Diagnosis service provided by CMBT in collaboration with ideSHi:
Glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency diagnosis- Service provided: 121
Basic metabolic screening (Inborn Errors of Metabolism diagnosis)- Service provided: 139
8. Current research projects going on at CMBT in collaboration with ideSHi:
1. Prevalence of acute respiratory and enteric infection among under five children in two hospitals in Dhaka
2. Genetic analysis and clinical patients with suspected hereditary neuro-degenerative disorder in Bangladesh
3. Study of common mutation determination of Glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in children in Bangladesh
4. Typhoid Diagnostics for measuring disease burden-supplement study
5. Collaborative Management platform for detection and analysis of (Re-emerging and food- borne outbreaks in Europe(COMPARE)
6. Profiling of cutoff values of amino acids and acylarnitines, for universal screening of inborn errors of metabolism
7. Innovative approaches for development of diagnostic methods for detecting IEM and genetic disorders using high throughput metabolomics profiling as well as monoclonal antibody
8. Strategic Typhoid Allaince across Africa and Asia (STRAATAA)
9. Food-borne illness surveillance.
9. Scientific papers published in international journals from CMBT in collaboration with ideSHi:
-Examination of Huntington's disease with atypical clinical features in a Bangladeshi Family tree- clinical case report: Wiley publishing group
-Molecular analysis of Glucose-6- Phosphate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Deficiency in Bangladeshi Individuals: Screening of Deficiency Using both Qualitative and Quantitative Enzyme Assay Methods and Detection of Mutations in Gene Performing Sequencing: PLOS ONE
