Doctors inject stem cells into brain of British stroke patient

The first ever clinical trial using neural stem cell therapy has begun with one patient in the UK, ReNeuron Group plc announced today.

Known as the Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke (PISCES) study, it is the first ever fully regulated neural stem cell therapy clinical trial for patients disabled by stroke. The company informs that stroke is the main cause of adult disability in industrial countries, and the third cause of death, Medical News Today reports.

Laurence Dunn, a neurosurgeon, successfully injected the stem cells into the first patient, who has since been discharged.

Professor Keith Muir, a neuroscientist from Glasgow University, who is leading the Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke (PISCES) study, said: "We are pleased that the first patient in the PISCES trial has undergone surgery successfully.

"Stroke is a common and serious condition that leaves a large number of people with significant disability.

"In this trial we are seeking to establish the safety and feasibility of stem cell implantation, which will require careful follow-up of the patients who take part.

"We hope that in future it will lead on to larger studies to determine the effects of stem cells on the disabilities that result from stroke," Telegraph.co.uk reports.