Central India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur was established in June 1984 and has completed 26 years of its existence. It has been recognized as a Research Institute by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India from its inception. The major aim was to undertake research activity in clinical and basic sciences related to human illness. For the same purpose, CIIMS established in 2000 a Research laboratory, which is completing 10 years of its fruitful existence.
The Research laboratory has initiated several research projects for the development of rapid and cost effective diagnostic methods especially for tuberculous infection and also for viral infections including Herpes Simplex Virus and Chikungunya infection. In addition, several herbal preparations have been evaluated for their immunomodulatory also for clot lytic activity. The research has also been initiated in the diagnosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke by analyzing biochemical and immunological parameters and using proteomic approach to identify specific biomarkers in blood. Research is also being conducted to identify specific biomarkers for Latent TB and TBM-HIV. Two different Multiplex ELISA are being developed for efficient diagnosis of TB, one utilizing 6 different tuberculosis antigens and an Ag85 based ELISA using 4 different peptides. The research laboratory has also undertaken a project regarding the BCG vaccination and usefulness of booster doses in increasing the efficacy of BCG vaccination. Work has also been initiated regarding the diagnosis of bacterial and viral CNS infection using molecular tools such as PCR, RT-PCR, LAMP etc. Other important initiative has been the project which focus on the in vitro production of polyclonal antibodies.

The laboratory has published 35 research papers in National and International Journals. And more than 100 papers have been presented in different National and International Conferences. Adhoc research grants have been sanctioned for six of our research projects, four by Department of Biotechnology, one by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and one by Indian Council of Medical Research. The Institute has been granted two Indian patents for the development of diagnostic kits, one for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and second for the diagnosis of extra CNS tuberculous infection. A complete specification for a third Indian patent for the development of a thrombolytic composition using a herbal preparation for the lysis of human blood clot has been submitted.
CIIMS has constructed Animal House Facility in the premises of Nagpur Veterinary College, Nagpur. A MOU has been signed with Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences, Nagpur. The Institute also has sample bank, which contains various body fluids like CSF, serum, pleural, ascitic fluids of different infections.
CIIMS has also initiated a collaborative research project on TB with Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal. A collaborative project is also being conducted along with Dr.Satav for diagnosis of active and latent TB in tribal population of Melghat. Other than these, CIIMS has collaboration with various Institutes like DRDE, Gwalior; AIIMS, New Delhi; Bengal Tuberculosis Association, Kolkatta; PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai; NIMS, Hyderabad; Dr.B.C.Roy Institute of Postgraduate studies, Kolkatta; NIMHANS, Bangalore; NEERI, Nagpur, etc.
CIIMS Research Laboratory along with Tulip diagnostics, Goa is in the process of development of rapid Immunochromatographic diagnostic kits for TB and Chikungunya.
The laboratory has been recognized for Ph.D. programme in Biochemistry and Microbiology in Science Faculty by RTM, Nagpur University and in Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Microbiology and Medical Biotechnology in Medicine faculty by Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University, Nagpur. Two of our research scholars Dr. Rajpal Singh Kashyap and Dr. Poonam Deshpande have been awarded Ph.D. degree by RTM Nagpur University. Two more scholars Mrs. Anju Rajan and Mr.Ravindra Satpute have submitted their Ph.D. thesis and are awaiting the results. Four more scholars have registered for Ph.D. One in Biochemistry, one in Microbiology and two in Medical Biotechnology in RTM, Nagpur University and Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University, Nagpur.
Since last several years the staff of Research Laboratory has guided post graduate students for their dissertation projects. More than 40 students have completed their research projects. Every year the laboratory is conducting hands on training workshops in Immunological, Molecular and Animal Cell Cultural techniques for graduate and postgraduate students, researchers and teachers in life sciences.