The Centre of Medico Biological Technologies
The Centre of Medico-Biological Technologies (CMBT) – Russia
Opened in Moscow in 2003, the Centre of Medico-Biological Technologies (CMBT) offers stem cell treatment to patients from all over the world. CMBT uses autologous stem cells to treat patients and compares the expense of treatment at their clinic as on a par ‘with that of a medium priced new car and higher.’ The clinic’s website contains numerous mentions of how enjoyable a place Moscow is to visit, and concentrates to a large extent on the tourism aspect of the ‘medical-tourism’ industry.
Patients are required to be present for a week on arrival in Moscow and then for several more visits during the twelve-week programme. Visas, transfers and accommodation can all be arranged but at extra expense for the patient and their families. For some, the potential for a three month long stay in Russia will be impossible, although treatment programmes are said to vary depending on the patients’ own circumstances. Part of this time period is due to the need to take samples of the patients’ bone marrow and blood to then culture in the clinic’s laboratory in order to multiply the stem cells for re-injection. Using autologous stem cells is, therefore, a much longer procedure from start to finish than using embryonic stem cells or cord blood.
The CMBT offers treatments for conditions such as:
● blood vessels disorders, neural system disorders, strokes, heart attacks, cerebral dysfunctions
Embryonic Stem Cells Not used at CMBT
● severe burns, erosive wounds, post-burn treatment
● blood cells disorders (including anemia and intestine related disorders)
● allergies and oncology disorders; supportive therapy to ongoing treatment
● infectious diseases, sepsis,
● autoimmune and immune deficiency disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis; supportive therapy to ongoing treatment
● diabetes and its variable forms
● blood flow and neural deficiencies; supportive therapy to ongoing treatment
● sexual pathology’s of men and women
● rejuvenation treatments, including memory rehabilitation, life extension, physical condition improvement, etc.
● Meso-therapy, cosmetology, skin-rejuvenation treatment
Licensing Information
The clinic displays a licence to ‘pursue medical activities’ until 2013, and appears to have been licensed for use of autologous stem cell treatment of spinal cord injury in 2006, which may now have expired according to the information available at the website. The promotional material for the clinic also offers treatment for traumatic brain disease, spinal cord disease, residual organic lesions of the central nervous system, circulatory disorders, hypertension, ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, vascular dementia, and degenerative brain disease such as Parkinson’s Disease, and chorea Gettingtona. Rather worryingly they also offer treatment for chronic vegetative states with the website claiming to accept patients in a post-traumatic, posthypoxic state, and state after apparent death. Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, and Muscular Dystrophy are also treated, as are brain and spinal cord tumours, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, arthritis, lupus, hepatitis and cirrhosis, prostate problems, gastric and duodenal ulcers, sexual dysfunction, and kidney problems.
Although the CMBT claims to have had numerous scientific and medical papers published there are no links to these and none could be found that are directly attributable to the clinic on a number of online journal databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Ovid. Individual scientists associated with the clinic have had research published but the degree of application in terms of the clinical protocol in Russia is unknown.
