This week, Maastricht UMC, led by Professor Bert Smeets, started a first clinical study in which healthy stem cells from patients with a hereditary disease were added to the patient’s blood. Healthy, own stem cells that the patient already has naturally in the muscles and that are therefore not rejected by the body.
Maastricht UMC is working on a new stem cell therapy for patients with a hereditary disease. For the first time, healthy endogenous stem cells will be used for the recovery of muscle mass.
Media in the Netherlands and abroad paid a lot of attention to this world first. Check out what has been said and written about it below.
BNR Nieuwsradio paid attention to the news, with a very clear explanation of the clinical trial. You can listen to the broadcast here.
Newspaper AD: Possible breakthrough for Sara and fellow sufferers: repairing muscles with your own healthy stem cells. Read the article over here.
NOS News: Unique muscle disease research in Maastricht: test started with own stem cells. Read the article here.
NPO Radio 1: World first in stem cell therapy: new treatment for hereditary diseases.
Professor of genome analysis Bert Smeets explained more in the NOS Radio 1 Journaal. You can watch the interview over here.
The Dutch news program Hart van Nederland went to visit Bram Verbrugge and his daughter Sara to talk about the hopeful news. Watch the interview here.
Newspaper De Limburger: World first at MUMC+ with stem cell therapy: first patient with muscle disease is injected with the body’s own cells. You can read this article over here.
The Belgium newspaper Het Belang van Limburg: World first in Maastricht hospital: stem cell therapy makes treatment of muscle diseases possible. Read it over here.
The Nationale Zorg Gids headlined: Stem cell therapy offers hope for muscle strength recovery in rare muscle disease. You can find this article over here.
The website Dividendwealth.co.uk, that focuses on the latest and important breakthroughs in science and other fields of interest, wrote: Hope for muscle strength recovery in rare genetic muscle disorders. Link to the article.
The Dutch website Medicalfacts.nl also paid attention to the world first: Innovative stem cell therapy offers hope for muscle recovery in rare, hereditary muscle disease MDC1A. Read the coverage over here.
And last but not least, the province of Limburg, where Maastricht UMC is located, placed an article on their website as well: A first in a cross-border collaborative project for rare muscle disorders. You can find it here.
