There are currently only a small number of stem cell treatments that have been shown to be effective in rigorous studies and are confined to diseases of the blood as well as skin grafts and corneal repair.

Our advice to patients before contemplating such treatments is to ensure that;

• Preclinical and clinical studies have been published, reviewed and repeated, by other experts in the field, that show the treatment is both safe and effective.
• The providers have approval from an independent committee such as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Review Board (ERB) to make sure the risks are as low as possible, are worth any potential benefits and that your rights are being protected.
• The providers have approval from a national or regional regulatory agency, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA), for the safe conduct of clinical trials or medical use of the product for this disease.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has a website, www.closerlookatstemcells.org, which aims to provide patients, families and carers with an independent assessment of the various companies purporting to offer stem cell treatments. SSCN welcomes the ISSCR initiative to provide patients with additional, critical information so that they can make the best decision for their on-going care and treatment. The new website should enable patients to ascertain the status of any offered therapy against these criteria.

The advice on the ISSCR website applies to treatments and clinical trials offered in countries other than the UK. In the UK all such treatments, procedures and clinical trials are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and will meet the guidelines listed above.

SSCN believe the best way to make stem cell therapies a reality is to conduct properly controlled clinical trials and would encourage people to enrol as such trials open for recruitment.

SSCN's website, contains further information on this subject, including the Patient's Handbook on Stem Cell Therapies.

If you are still uncertain or concerned please contact us.