Pioneering stroke therapy trial to be launched in Glasgow

A PIONEERING treatment using stem cells to treat stroke is to be tested in Scotland within weeks.

The therapy trial, to be carried out in Glasgow, will involve drilling a hole in the skull of a stroke patient.

Doctors will then inject a liquid containing millions of neural stem cells developed from foetal material into the damaged part of the brain.

The firm ReNeuron hopes to get final approval to carry out the treatment on a patient in Glasgow in the next few weeks.

If successful, it could help stroke patients recover from their disabilities. But there are also risks that the cells will grow out of control.

Michael Hunt, chief executive of ReNeuron, said: "Will we see people jumping out of wheelchairs? That would be great, but I'd be happy to see people being able to walk, talk and wash themselves better after suffering a major stroke."