Stem cell therapy
Recently there has been much excitement over the possibility that stem cells could be used to repair or replace cells damaged by disease.
Although the use of stem cell therapy for MND may eventually be possible, the general perception among scientists and clinicians in the MND research community is that the research is not currently sufficiently well advanced.
The challenges
Researchers still don't understand exactly how stem cells might exert their beneficial effects in diseases such as MND. They also need to establish what the risks of treatment might be before they can test stem cell therapy in humans. However, work is ongoing to learn more about different types of stem cells and how they might be used to treat neurological diseases.
You can read more about research into stem cell treatments and the challenges scientists still need to overcome in
Res Inf Q - Stem cells and MND (80 kb)
Stem cell treatment for sale!
A number of clinics around the world are offering stem cell treatments for people with MND. Like all non-proven treatments the Association does not endorse these stem cell treatments, which are untested in clinical trials and have no scientific rationale for their beneficial effects.
Research info sheet U - Unproven Treatments (130 kb)
Umbilical cord blood treatments
Several of the foreign clinics offer to treat MND patients with infusions of human umbilical cord stem cells. This treatment is scientifically unproven and its safety is unknown. Concerns about this treatment were heightened in Summer 2006 when reports questioned the source and quality of the umbilical cord stem cells used in this treatment.
Research
