Liver Repaired Using Experimental Stem Cell Drug

By Nina Muslim, Gulf News, January 30, 2008

After doctors gave a man an experimental stem cell drug, the 20-year-old Abu Dhabi man's liver repaired itself. He is now fully recovered.

A British scientific journal will publish the treatment results and recovery story of the man along with four others who underwent the same treatment with mixed results.

The man's liver failed suddenly during treatment for leukemia tow years ago according Singapore based consultant general surgeon Dr. Susan Lim.

"He needed a liver transplant," she said. "I treated him with the stem cell drug [which her team is studying] and within three days, he woke up," she added.

After an evaluation by Dr. Lim, the man is considered to be fully recovered and tests show that his liver is functioning normally.

She said that “patients can't wait for trials to be over and completely successful.”

The drug works to repair impaired organs by stimulating bone marrow into producing stem cells, which then travel to the damaged sites of the body and begin the repair process.