The Stem Cell Trekker

May 10 11

Mum Of Autistic Boy “In Shock” Over German Stem-Cell Centre Closure

by Executive Editor

A mother who raised more than €30,000 ($43,000) for experimental treatment for her autistic son is “in shock” after the controversial centre where he received his treatment was closed down.

Deirdre O’Dwyer’s eight-year-old son Evan suffers from a rare neurological disorder which means the left side of his brain has failed to develop properly. Evan, from the Commons Road, Cork, also developed severe epilepsy and autism as a result of the disorder. His mother took him to Germany last week to undergo stem-cell treatment at the XCell Centre in Dusseldorf.

However, the centre, which offers unlicensed treatments, has closed after being ordered to cease operating by German authorities.

“I am very frightened now,” said Mrs O’Dwyer, who felt the centre gave her son a “chance” by offering treatment he could not get elsewhere.

Read the full story at the Irish Independent.

Mar 16 11

Peddling Hope: Unproven Stem Cell Treatments For Sale In A Country Near You

by Executive Editor

On the surface it seems easy. Overseas stem cell “clinics” peddling unproven treatments to desperate and dying patients, charging tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of being injected with mysterious concoctions of cells meant to cure almost every ailment: What’s not to hate? But for many patients, the issue is more complex than it may at first seem.

To them, the fact that a treatment has not been thoroughly tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is a minor detail, with hope trouncing logic in a world where mainstream medicine can sometimes neither cure nor alleviate suffering.

The result is a booming international business that is growing every year, thanks in large part to the Internet and the savvy marketers who prey on patients’ fears.

Canadian Family Seeks Unproven Cerebral Palsy Treatment

by Executive Editor

The parents of a little girl with cerebral palsy say they plan to seek out an experimental stem-cell treatment for their daughter south of the border.

Langley, B.C., resident Nicole Morris gave birth to twin girls, Kaylee and Savannah, two-and-a-half years ago. Born premature, Savannah developed a brain injury from lack of oxygen that left her with cerebral palsy.

The condition can cause severe motor and mental impairment. But preliminary research out of the United States has suggested that injecting children with umbilical cord stem cells might help mitigate effects of cerebral palsy.

Now Savannah’s parents say they want to try the experimental therapy they hope will make her move normally, opting to pay thousands of dollars to receive the treatment that has yet to be proven in clinical trials.

Fla. Investigators Say Stem Cell Doctor’s Procedure “Went Horribly Wrong”

by Executive Editor

The Florida surgeon general has issued an order of emergency restriction on the medical license of Dr. Zannos Grekos that prohibits him from performing stem cell procedures. According to a report, Grekos performed an experimental treatment that killed a 69-year-old breast cancer patient. The procedure was not authorized nor recognized by the Food and Drug Administration.

However, WINK News also spoke to some of Dr. Grekos patients who credit him for saving their lives.

MS Patients Going Abroad To Find Help

by Executive Editor

An increasing number of Americans are traveling abroad, often at great cost and to the dismay of their U.S. doctors, for what might be the best hope for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in ages: treatments that use adult stem cells in efforts to reboot the immune system or repair the damage inflicted by the disease. The treatment is offered in Europe and Asia and south of the U.S. border, sometimes in university-affiliated research, sometimes in unregulated, hole-in-the-wall clinics.

The treatment’s availability is extremely limited in the U.S. because there’s little scientific proof it works.

The result can be a classic battle, not unlike that which occurred in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, between desperate patients frustrated that therapeutic progress comes too slow and a medical establishment that insists there be ample evidence a therapy is safe and effective before making it widespread.

About

Welcome to the Stem Cell Trekker newsblog! Published by the editorial staff of Stem Cell Research News, Stem Cell Business News, and Stem Cell Lab World, the Trekker's mission is to keep you up-to-date on patient experiences with stem cell treatments and therapies provided globally. You can find clinics, hospitals, and referral services in the Global Guide to Stem Cell Therapy Providers, available here. Feel free to comment on any post. (All comments are read by the staff prior to posting, so please keep them relevant, clean, and spam-free.)