People to freeze stem cells for future Alzheimer's treatment

Healthy adults who wish to avoid Alzheimer's disease in the future may be able to do so by having some of their stem cells frozen.

British company Pharmacells has been granted permission to extract stem cells from blood to be frozen and used in the treatment of the neurodegenerative condition up to 20 years later.

The corporation charges £2,495 for the extraction of blood, carried out as a simple blood test, and the storing of the cells at -80 degrees C for up to 20 years.

Younger cells, frozen before age and illness set in, are more effective. Furthermore, the advantage of using a person's own cells is that their immune system will not react against them.

According to the Telegraph, Athol Haas, chief executive of Pharmacell, said: "Most of the clients who have made pre-orders ahead of the licence being approved are either expecting to suffer from a hereditary degenerative disease or they understand that having this form of biological insurance is a good thing."

This follows research published in journal Cell Transplantation which found stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood cells and menstrual blood cells could be used to treat Alzheimer's and stroke.

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