Stem cells 'not effective for stroke-related paralysis'

Using stem cells to treat paralysis that has come about after a stroke might not be an effective course of action, according to a new study from India.

A seven-year trial studied 120 patients and half of them were given the conventional treatment, while the other 60 received stem cell therapy in addition, Down to Earth reports.

Published in the American journal Stroke, the research conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi casts doubt on the hope that stem cells could bring about transformational recovery, because there was no difference in outcome for the two groups. 

To ensure the trial was fair and realistic, all individuals had experienced a stroke between two and four weeks before it started. As the patient often has to endure surgery within the first week, this period was avoided. 

Head of the Department of Neurology at AIIMS Kameshwar Prasad said: "We found that at the end of first month, patients with stem cells showed more improvement compared to the control group. But at the end of third month and one year, there was no difference."

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