Royan Institute
Royan Institute is an Iranian clinical, research and educational institute dedicated to biomedical, translational and clinical researches, stem cell research and infertility treatment. It is a public non-profitable organization affiliated to Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research. It was established in 1991 by the late Dr. Saeid Kazemi Ashtiani as a research institute for Reproductive Biomedicine and infertility treatments. In 1998 this institute was approved by Ministry of Health as Cell Based Research Center with over 46 scientific members and 186 lab technicians.
Research institutes
Royan consists of three research institutes, each focused on different fields of research:- Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology
- Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine
- Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology
Royan publishes the Cell Journal with an impact factor of 2.363.
Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology
Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology first, as the "Department of Stem Cells" was established in 2002 to advance researches on biology and technology of embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, germ line stem cells, adult stem cells, cancer stem cells, and cord blood stem cells.The Institute is providing a comprehensive and coordinated "bench to bedside" approach to regenerative medicine, including a greater understanding of fundamental biology of stem cells, developmental biology, tissue engineering programs, the development of translational research of stem cell therapeutics, and administration of new cell therapies approaches that can restore tissue function to patients.
The RI-SCBT consists of three departments and one center including Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biological Engineering, Department of Regenerative Medicine, and Cell Therapy Center.
Iran has some of the most liberal laws on stem cell research in the world. The institute founded a Department of Stem Cells in 2002 to establish human embryonic stem cell lines and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, and to study differentiation into different kinds of cells including cardiomyocytes, beta cells, and neural cells. Researchers claimed a live birth of a cloned sheep in 2006, inviting foreign observers to verify the claim.
Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine
Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, founded in 1991, consists of six departments and one clinic actively working on different aspects of infertility and the development of new methods for infertility treatment.It aims to improve the population’s health through infertility treatments and to research different aspects of infertility and its treatment in order to increase the success rate alongside improving embryo health.
- Reproductive Imaging
- Epidemiology & Reproductive Health
- Andrology
- Reproductive Genetics
- Endocrinology & Female Infertility
- Embryology
Chronological overview
- 1993: The first IVF birth in Tehran
- 1995: The second ICSI birth in Iran
- 1996: Iran's second success in open testicular biopsy to treat severe male infertility
- 1996: The first frozen embryo birth in Iran
- 1999: The first ICSI birth by frozen sperm of a gonadectomized man
- 1999: The first celebration of the 1000th birth by the assisted conception treatment in Iran
- 2003: The first human embryonic Stem Cell line establishment in Iran and the region
- 2003: Establishment of Stem Cells research department
- 2004: The first PGD child born in Iran
- 2004: The first time use of adult stem cell in treatment of MI during CABG in Iran
- 2004: Production of insulin producing cells from human embryonic stem cells.
- 2004: Culture of Human Limbal Stem Cells on Chorionic Membrane and use them for corneal injuries
- 2005: Establishment of the first Private Cord Blood Bank in Iran
- 2006: The first IVM-IVF sheep born in Iran
- 2006: Iran's first cloned sheep, named Royana.
- 2006: The first nuclear transferred, in vitro fertilized sheep born
- 2007: Culture and transplantation of fibroblasts
- 2008: Establishment of mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cells
- 2008: Transplantation of melanocytes for patient with vitiligo
- 2009: The first cloned goat born in Iran.
- 2010: The first transgenic goats born in Iran
- 2011: The first calves born from vitrified in vitro developed embryos in Iran
- 2011: Establishment of cell therapy pre-hospital
- 2011: Establishment of Stem Cell Bank
- 2012: The first healthy child birth after Molecular PGD for beta-thalassemia in Iran
- 2013: Birth of eight cloned goats through the simplified method of SCNT in Iran
- 2015: Birth of a cloned Isfahan mouflon to a surrogate domestic sheep.
- 2016: The first knock-in mice produced with CRISPR technology in Iran.
- 2017: The first transgenic zebrafish disease models in Iran.
Prominent achievements
- Report of three new mutation of cystic fibrosis
- Best paper selection in MEFS congress 2004
- Second place of Razi medical science award 2003
- Best young researcher in Razi medical science award 2004
- Report of human embryonic stem cells’ proteomics for the first time in the world
- Registration of one human embryonic stem cell line in International Society of Stem Cell Research
- Establishment of 6 human embryonic stem cell lines
- Establishment of 8 mouse embryonic stem cell lines which three of them can be donated to the centers or researchers for one time
- Introduction of late director of Royan Institute as Iran’s everlasting legend in 2005
- Best poster award in Stem Cell congress, India, 2005
- Selection as “prominent research center” in Razi medical sciences award
- Best researcher in Razi medical sciences award 2006
- Best medical journal in Razi medical sciences award 2006
- Best research achievement prize in Razi medical sciences award
- Best research achievement prize in Kharazmi young researcher award 2006
- Best research prize in second international reproduction student award, Yazd, Iran, 2007
- Report of Mesenchymal stem cells’ new surface markers to the world
- Publication of 626 papers in local and international journals
- Performance of 341 research project and follow of 225 undergoing projects
- Presentation of 997 papers in national and international congresses
- Publication of two journals: Cell Journal and IJFS, Indexed in ISI
- Editorial board of four internationals
- six chapters of international textbooks in stem cell fields
- Publication of 21 books
- Performance of more than 56 inter-center and multi-center research nationally or internationally
- Use of adult stem cells in corneal injuries and myocardial infarction on human
- Transplantation of stem cells to the animal model of diseases in hepatic cirrhosis, spinal cord injuries, bone defects, cartilage damages and diabetes
- Several research achievements in preimplantation diagnosis and screening
- Producing iPS cell line, Royan H7
- Registration of T338A, K536X, Y122H genes in CBAVD patients, 2007