[imark3000]

Majority of Parkinson’s Patients Improved After German Stem Cell Treatment
It seems that more patients are going there out of desperation specially that the procedure is relatively simple and not so expensive.
I wonder if Germany has a regulatory body like FDA and if the procedure is approved by them.
I wish to see a convincing evidence of the effectiveness of the treatment. why it is not reviewd by US medical establishment which is spending millions and milions $$$$$$$$$$$ on pd research?
As always we wpd's are left in the dark while money and not our welfare drives the pd business.
hope you comment on this.
Imad

[jeanb]

I think a man in Prescott, AZ, went through this teatment. He was supposed to be interviewed on local tv this morning, but it's been changed to next week. Here is what his support group leader wrote:

"You will recall that we reported on how NAME had gone to Germany for a procedure of taking stem cells from his hip, processing them and injecting them into his spinal fluid. The procedure is not authorized in the US. NAME claims that he has benefitted, but it does not benefit everyone."

I have the show set up to record and will let you know what I learn.

[pegleg]

I know this has been discussed here several times; I'm not sure how I missed this. I have heard of the X-Cell therapies, but never checked it out. It is a private facility and has apparently treated several patients. One point of interest was the use of autologous stem cell transplantation. This, of course, is using one's OWN cells, so the rejection problem ws ith the introduction of foreign tissue is not an issue. I have a friend in Europe that I may contact about this treatment. Here's some info from their website:
About Us

The XCell-Center´s newly inaugurated headquarters are located at the Dominikus hospital in Düsseldorf, one of Germany's economic and cultural centers. This private facility has been sensibly arranged with the most up to date medical equipment as well as with a modern, enjoyable interior design.
The second branch is the well established XCell-Center Cologne, located at the Eduardus Hospital's Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Both locations can be reached conveniently via international airport Düsseldorf or -respectively- international airport Cologne .
Bringing together therapeutical use of autologous adult stem cells and medical research, it is our mission to:

• Provide therapeutic application of autologous adult stem cells to patients at the highest medical standard;
• Extend existing knowledge on the effects of autologous adult stem cells by supporting pre-clinical and clinical research.

We offer patients with degenerative diseases the opportunity to undergo an innovative and promising stem cell treatment.
Since the start in January 2007, more than 2400 patients have safely undergone our various stem cell treatments.

Here's their Medical Advisory Board. Does anyone have any background info on any of the US physicians? (note they are PEDIATRTIC neurosurgeons)

Scientific and Medical Advisory Board

The XCell-Center's Scientific and Medical Advisory board includes experts from all over the world:

• Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Nils Haberland,
  neurosurgeon, Cairo (Egypt) & Hannover (Germany)
• Dr. Michael G. Muhonen, M.D.,
• pediatric neurosurgeon, Orange County (CA, USA)
• Dr. William Loudon M.D., Ph.D.,
  pediatric neurosurgeon, Orange County (CA, USA)

Peg

[lurkingforacure]

Originally Posted by pegleg

I know this has been discussed here several times; I'm not sure how I missed this. I have heard of the X-Cell therapies, but never checked it out. It is a private facility and has apparently treated several patients. One point of interest was the use of autologous stem cell transplantation. This, of course, is using one's OWN cells, so the rejection problem ws ith the introduction of foreign tissue is not an issue. I have a friend in Europe that I may contact about this treatment. Here's some info from their website:
About Us

The XCell-Center´s newly inaugurated headquarters are located at the Dominikus hospital in Düsseldorf, one of Germany's economic and cultural centers. This private facility has been sensibly arranged with the most up to date medical equipment as well as with a modern, enjoyable interior design.
The second branch is the well established XCell-Center Cologne, located at the Eduardus Hospital's Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Both locations can be reached conveniently via international airport Düsseldorf or -respectively- international airport Cologne .
Bringing together therapeutical use of autologous adult stem cells and medical research, it is our mission to:

• Provide therapeutic application of autologous adult stem cells to patients at the highest medical standard;
• Extend existing knowledge on the effects of autologous adult stem cells by supporting pre-clinical and clinical research.

We offer patients with degenerative diseases the opportunity to undergo an innovative and promising stem cell treatment.
Since the start in January 2007, more than 2400 patients have safely undergone our various stem cell treatments.

Here's their Medical Advisory Board. Does anyone have any background info on any of the US physicians? (note they are PEDIATRTIC neurosurgeons)

Scientific and Medical Advisory Board

The XCell-Center's Scientific and Medical Advisory board includes experts from all over the world:

• Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Nils Haberland,
  neurosurgeon, Cairo (Egypt) & Hannover (Germany)
• Dr. Michael G. Muhonen, M.D.,
• pediatric neurosurgeon, Orange County (CA, USA)
• Dr. William Loudon M.D., Ph.D.,
  pediatric neurosurgeon, Orange County (CA, USA)

Peg

I think the pediatric docs are on there because, from what I have read, a lot of parents take their kids there for autism, cerebral palsy, injuries that have cause paralysis, and they need those docs.

I posted on this as well and it seems like the success rate may have gone up because they are using a new procedure and putting the stem cells directly into the brain, as opposed to the spinal fluid. I always wondered about that-how could a whole cell get across the BBB is a measly protein molecule could not (GDNF?) Maybe this new delivery method will increase the number of people this helps, and how much it helps them.

[Conductor71]

Originally Posted by imark3000

I wonder if Germany has a regulatory body like FDA and if the procedure is approved by them.
I wish to see a convincing evidence of the effectiveness of the treatment. why it is not reviewd by US medical establishment which is spending millions and milions $$$$$$$$$$$ on pd research?
As always we wpd's are left in the dark while money and not our welfare drives the pd business.
hope you comment on this.
Imad

Imad,

I am hopeful and still somewhat skeptical only because as you mention, no doctor or other independent researchers are publishing studies. I don't even think placebo driven clinical trials are necessary, at this point, I'd be happy with a case study published in a peer-reviewed journal...this would at least take it to the next level and generate some dialog on the treatment.

At the Xcell site, it publishes high success rates in 50 patients who underwent treatment. Where all these patients...why aren't they sharing their good results with others. If anything, I would think that we have a common bond in wanting to see us all alleviated from the everyday struggles with this condition, so why are they so silent? Even if largely they are European patients...there are translators and most journals are in English.

I think it sounds promising but remain wary until we have a few other objective reports substantiating these claims.

Thanks for sharing this; I agree that we have a long way to go when we can't even get Duodopa, an intestinal pump, before brain surgery! This just tells me that pharmaceuticals run the show, doctors fall in line, while we clamor for better options.

Laura