StemCell Therapy

ABC Kellie van Meurs (3rd from R) died of a heart attack last month while receiving stem cell treatment in Moscow.

The death of an Australian woman undergoing stem cell therapy in Russia has prompted a leading stem cell research group to warn of rogue operators charging thousands of dollars for ineffectual treatments.

Brisbane mother Kellie van Meurs died of a heart attack last month while receiving stem cell treatment in Moscow for her rare neurological condition known as stiff person syndrome.

Stem Cells Australia said there was a growing number of patients going overseas for stem cell treatments which are limited in Australia.

A loophole in the therapeutic goods legislation means that doctors are legally allowed to treat patients, both here and overseas, with their own stem cells even if the treatment is unsafe or has not been proven effective through clinical trials.

Stem Cells Australia said it believed dozens of doctors in Australia offered the questionable treatments.

"They're selling treatment without any proof of benefit, and without any proof of safety," Associate Professor Megan Munsie, a stem cell biologist at the University of Melbourne, told the 7.30 program.

Annie Leverington was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007.

She was once a talented flamenco dancer and worked as a court stenographer.

But in 2002 she noticed something was wrong when her fingers started to "drop" during long trials.

More here:
Rogue stem cell therapy operators charging thousands for ineffective treatments, researchers say

This entry was posted on August 25, 2014 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Cell Therapy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |