Australian treated with new cell-based therapy

In a rare surgery, a 35-year-old Australian woman with a spinal injury for 14 long years regained her sensory ability after undergoing a new cell-based therapy at a hospital here, doctors said on Monday.

The Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) also proved beneficial for Perry Gross as she gained back her standing capability, which she had lost after suffering a major trauma while playing rugby.

Her health deteriorated to an extent that she was on ventilator support through tracheostomy, a surgical procedure to create an opening through the neck into the trachea.

According to the medical reports, the initial condition of Gross, after being admitted to the Nutech Mediworld hospital was her inability to move her upper limbs and complete loss of sensation except on her face.

She had no sitting balance and the abdominal reflex was absent with an exaggerated ankle jerk.

After doctors at several hospitals abroad claimed that surgery won't benefit her, Gross' parents were advised about Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) therapy in which some Indian doctors have specialized.

Gross then came to New Delhi and underwent the HESC therapy, which started improving her spinal injury. Over time, she gained her sensory ability and was able to move her back and even stand on her own.

The therapy involves transplanting isolated human embryonic stem cells into the patients to help their spinal cord heal.

The stem cell, on entering the body, engrafts to the damaged area and allows for its repair. The therapy has no known side effects and does not require any immuno-suppressants.

Geeta Shroff, the founding director of Nutech Mediworld where the patient was treated, said HESC hold a potential to repair and regenerate and thus were the key to treating most of today's incurable ailments.

Citing similar other cases, three paraplegic and two quadriplegic patients, Shroff said they were also treated with HESC and saw significant improvement in their sitting balance, control and sensation of bowel and bladder, power and movement of limbs.

Shroff, who has treated over 1,300 patients from 50 countries so far with no side effects, has over 15 research papers published in reputed journals around the world.