Stroke patients see ‘improvements’ after stem cell trial

Bbc.co.uk: By Eleanor BradfordBBC Scotland Health Correspondent.

The first patients to take part in a clinical trial of a stem cell treatment for stroke have seen reductions in their disability, according to doctors.

Six patients in the west of Scotland had human stem cells inserted close to the damaged part of their brain.

After receiving the treatment, they saw improvements in the limb weakness they suffered as a result of their stroke.

Howeve, doctors have cautioned against reading too much into the early results of the clinical trial.

It is the world’s first trial of a neural stem cell therapy for stroke.

Stroke is the third largest cause of death and the single largest cause of adult disability in the developed world.

The trial is being conducted at the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, and is being led by Glasgow University neurologist Professor Keith Muir. Read more