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Ludhiana doctor's book makes waves with
Hollywood film
 Like
many young men fresh out of Ludhiana’s Dayanand Medical College, Dr
Parminder Singh Chawla — Shelley to his friends — set his sights on
the USA and off he went. That was in 1989. Further study abroad saw
him specialise in neurology. Of the innumerable patients who
consulted him, some had conditions that could possibly be helped by
experimental treatments using stem cells.
Human embryonic stem cells give rise to the cells and tissues of the
body and scientists are finding that they can be used to treat
diseases and restore damaged organs. But stem cell research is
discouraged in the US. No federal money is given for any research in
which a human embryo is destroyed or exposed to undue risk.
Dr Chawla wished he could do more for such cases, but the law is the
law. After going through much, Dr Chawla decided to turn his
experiences into a campaign to attract public attention to stem cell
research and the issues surrounding it. The result was a novel, Hope
… in Vitro, coauthored by Dianne Wilson.
The protagonist of his story is an ultra-conservative US Senator who
is strongly opposed to embryonic stem cell research. But then his
son is paralysed in an automobile accident. The very research that
he had campaigned against could make a difference in the life of his
son. Suddenly his ethics are in direct opposition to the needs of
his family.
The story revolves around the senator's dilemma: can he go back on
years of rhetoric and strong pressure from his party colleagues?
After much soul-searching, the senator and his wife agree that
restoring movement to their son’s limbs is the most important thing
and they take him to the PGI at Chandigarh for treatment.
Incidentally, this last bit about stem cell therapy at the PGI is
not fiction. No institute anywhere in the world is ahead of the PGI
when it comes to stem cell research and treatment. Since 2003,
doctors there have been experimenting on stem cell transplantation
in departments of Internal Medicines, Orthopaedics, Cardiology,
Neurology and certain other departments and they have had many
successes.
In January this year, a 35-year-old patient, Uggar Singh, who had
been undergoing stem cell treatment for a spinal cord injury has
shown recovery. This is the first case in the PGI Orthopaedics
Department. Also this year the PGI has set up a stem cell bank.
India is far ahead of the USA in this area. Attitudes here are
enlightened. Says Dr Chawla: “Not all Americans are against stem
cell treatment but some (including President Bush) oppose it on the
grounds that harvesting the blastocyst-stage cells kills the embryo.
This argument is no longer valid because researchers have found that
they can use stem cells from the umbiblical cord or they can take a
fertilized egg at a very preliminary stage before it implants in the
uterus. My novel is not meant to criticise the opponents of stem
cell research. Rather it is a human drama which explores the power
of love and the love of power in the context of a dilemma that has
divided a nation,” Shelley said.
“In the next presidential elections in US, stem cell research will
be one of the major topics and will be a deciding factor in
selection of the candidate. While a large portion of Americans,
including clergy, are against stem cell research, there is vast
majority who are supporting the research and the use of stem cell
for medical treatment,” Shelley explained.
“We have just tried to break new ground in conveying the complexity
of bioethical issues through the fictional story of a patient and
his family,” he said.
Now, the novel is being turned into a film by director Rich Ambler.
Melind Gaur is director of the Indian unit. The portions shot in
American have been completed; shooting here will be done this month.
Shelley is the son of Dr Livtar Singh Chawla, the founder V-C of
Baba Farid University of Medical Sciences and former principal of
Dayanand Medical College.
He practises in Topeka, Kansas, USA.
16 May, 2007
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