Although many stem cell treatments are still experimental, some are established and successful.Bone marrow transplants
The most successful stem cell therapy is the transplant of bone marrow stem cells, which make all the types of blood cell. It has been used since the late 1960s to treat blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma, and inherited disorders such as sickle cell disease and severe combined immunodeficiency. Blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby is another rich source of blood stem cells and can be stored for later use.Skin and eyes
Sheets of skin grown from a patient's own stem cells are used to cover severe burns. Stem cells from the limbus, the edge of the cornea, have been grown and transplanted to restore sight in people whose corneas were damaged by chemical burns. This was one of the first stem cell treatments approved in Europe.Clinical trials
Newer treatments are being tested, including retinal cells grown from embryonic stem cells to treat age-related macular degeneration, dopamine neurones for Parkinson's disease and beta cells for type 1 diabetes.Evaluating claims
Before any new treatment is approved it must pass through clinical trials that test safety, dose and effectiveness on increasing numbers of patients, ideally against a control group. Some private clinics sell unproven stem cell treatments that have not been through this process, which can harm patients and cost them large sums.
The most successful stem cell therapy is the transplant of bone marrow stem cells, which make all the types of blood cell. It has been used since the late 1960s to treat blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma, and inherited disorders such as sickle cell disease and severe combined immunodeficiency. Blood from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby is another rich source of blood stem cells and can be stored for later use.Skin and eyes
Sheets of skin grown from a patient's own stem cells are used to cover severe burns. Stem cells from the limbus, the edge of the cornea, have been grown and transplanted to restore sight in people whose corneas were damaged by chemical burns. This was one of the first stem cell treatments approved in Europe.Clinical trials
Newer treatments are being tested, including retinal cells grown from embryonic stem cells to treat age-related macular degeneration, dopamine neurones for Parkinson's disease and beta cells for type 1 diabetes.Evaluating claims
Before any new treatment is approved it must pass through clinical trials that test safety, dose and effectiveness on increasing numbers of patients, ideally against a control group. Some private clinics sell unproven stem cell treatments that have not been through this process, which can harm patients and cost them large sums.