Prof Keith Muir, of Glasgow University, said the results were "not what we would have expected" from the group of patients who had previously shown no indications of their conditions improving. The trial involved injecting stem cells directly into the damaged parts of the patients' brains, with the hope that they would turn into healthy tissue or "kick-start" the body's own repair processes. Frank Marsh, 80, one of the nine patients taking part in the trial at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital, told the BBC he had seen improvements in the use of his left hand. "I can grip certain things that I never gripped before, like the hand rail at the baths, with my left hand as well as my right," he said."It still feels fairly weak and it's still a wee bit difficult to co-ordinate, but it's much better than it was." He added: "I'd like to get back to playing my piano." His wife Claire said: "He had reached a plateau and wasn't really improving (after his stroke). But following the operation he is able to do things he couldn't do before, such as make coffee, dressing and holding on to things." The study involved patients who suffered … Continue reading →

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com May 26, 2013 7:15 PM Reuters file photo of stem cell therapy InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5 MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH)'s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against undergoing stem cell therapy in non-health facilities. The FDA issued the warning after it received complaints that stem cell therapies were being done in hotel rooms. It has also advised the public to consult only with duly-licensed medical practitioners who practice stem cell therapy in DOH-approved health establishments The agency has also warned the public "against receiving stem cell preparations and therapies without prior regulatory applications and approval" from the FDA and the DOH. The following stem cell preparations require government approval, according to the FDA: An advisory from the FDA-DOH states that the agencies do not allow the creation, importation, promotion, marketing and use of human embryos, human embryonic stem cells and their derivatives, aborted human fetal stem cells and their derivatives for human treatment and research, as well as plant parts labeled as stem cells. Patients who receive stem cell preparation without prior FDA-DOH approval run the risk of contracting infectious diseases and severe complications which may … Continue reading →