All FAQs

NOVO Cellular Medicine Institute is not offering stem cell therapy as a cure for any condition, disease, or injury. No statements or implied treatments on this website have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. This website contains no medical advice.

All statements and opinions provided by this website are provided for educational and informational purposes only. NOVO Cellular Medicine Institute and its affiliate treatment centres are offering treatments that are in the investigational stage to provide individual patients with their own autologous mononuclear stem cells or allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells. The treatment centres provide surgical procedures only and are not involved in the use or manufacture of any investigational drugs.

NOVO Cellular Medicine Institute does not claim that the FDA approves any applications, or potential applications, using autologous stem cells. We do not claim that these treatments cure any listed nor unlisted condition, intended or implied. It’s important for potential patients to do their own research based on the options that we present so that one can make an informed decision. Any decision to participate in our patient funded clinical studies is completely voluntary.

• How long does it take to schedule an appointment?

You will be assisted at every step by our team to ensure the appointment process is expedited. Once we have received a detailed medical history as per the medical history form filled and uploaded by you on the website, it will then take 2 to 3 days for the physician to review the records and get back to the patient for eligibility into the study. The patient will then be scheduled for the earliest available appointment. The process of scheduling appointments may take 1 to 3 weeks, from the time of the initial contact to the date of the first appointment.

• Am I a candidate for stem cell therapy through NOVO Institute?

NOVO Institute follows a strict protocol to determine whether patient satisfies the inclusion and exclusion criteria to be enrolled in the stem cell study as per international good clinical practice guidelines (GCP). Every patient will undergo a full medical history evaluation to determine his/ her candidacy to study enrolment. The Principal Investigator and his team members will exclusively judge the patient study eligibility criteria. Providing access to safe and effective stem cell therapy is our absolute goal therefore candidacy is determined by keeping these two criteria in mind.

• Whether NOVO Institute provides stem cell studies through NIH?

Yes, we maintain highest levels of ethical conduct, safety and efficacy. NOVO Institute offers stem cell studies registered through the National Institutes of Health at www.clinicaltrials.gov for patients seeking treatment with the highest standard of care. In order to be registered, each study needs to be approved by an institutional review board (IRB)/Ethics Committee to ensure proper oversight and protocols are being followed. NOVO considers this a core competency and a significant advantage compared with treatment centres offering unregistered studies.

• What are Umbilical cords (UC) derived stem cells?

During pregnancy, the foetus and placenta are connected by an elastic UC, which prevents umbilical vessels from compression, torsion and bending, by providing sufficient blood circulation to the foetus. UC consists of two umbilical arteries and one umbilical vein, both embedded within a jelly like layer of proteins and carbohydrates called Wharton Jelly (WJ) which is covered by amniotic epithelium. A large bank of mesenchymal cells is present in WJ. These mesenchymal cells are durable, have large loading capacities and are considered ethical to harvest. Wharton Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (WJ MSCs) are maintained in an early embryologic phase and therefore may have some primitive stemness property, which makes it easy to differentiate, this plethora of cells. There is preclinical evidence that WC MSCs can also form nerve tissues and myelin-producing cells such as Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes and oligodendroglial cells, which have nerve remyelination potential. Currently these are the best naturally occurring stem cell line available.

• Will my body accept the umbilical cord derived stem cells from other sources?

The UC MSCs have extremely negligible immunogenic properties as they lack MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules and low level of MHC class I, which are important players in host versus graft rejection. In addition these cells have a high secretion of molecules such as Interleukin 10 and TGF beta, which can further reduce immune reactions. They have not only been successfully used in humans but human umbilical cord stem cells have been used in animals without any additional immunosuppressive modulation. So it is very rare that these cells will undergo immune rejection in your body.

• Is there any risk of cross infections when umbilical derived stem cells are injected in my body?

In our laboratory, umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells are prepared with highest ethical standards and derived from healthy mothers of healthy foetus. The umbilical cord tissue is screened for hepatitis B and C virus, HIV, Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Syphilis, and only if found negative for these microorganisms and viruses will their UC serum be used for cell preparation and therapy. Well-trained and experienced scientists will conduct the screening for these viruses and processing of the stem cells will be conducted in specialized labs. For each umbilical cord used for cell preparation a screening inventory will be provided.

• How effective might stem cells be?

One of the goals of NOVO Institute, through our stem cell studies, is to understand what a particular stem cell therapy might be able to achieve. For example, does it have the potential to slow a disease's progression and can it replace damaged cells and memories, or both? Also, how long treatment benefits last? With this goal in mind, NOVO Institute continues to study these diseases and the full effect of stem cell therapy on each disease. Anecdotally, these results have been overwhelmingly positive but there is more that needs to be done to determine the exact effectiveness of these therapies.

• After receiving a stem cell transplant, how long will it take to see the results?

After stem cells have been administered into someone’s body they have to make their way to the correct place (e.g. area of damage) and then have their desired effect. This process takes time and although it is difficult to predict exactly how long, it is likely that it will take several months to see the full desired effect.

Each condition and patient is unique, and there is no guarantee of what results will be achieved or how quickly they may be observed. Most patients report the results become apparent over 2-12 weeks, but it can take as long as 6-12 months.

• Are there any benefits of taking part in the study?

Taking part in this study may or may not make your health better. We cannot, and do not guarantee or promise that you will receive any benefits from this study. As there has not yet been any conclusive proof that Stem Cell therapy is effective in the treatment of diseases we are studying the effect of stem cells (COPD, Diabetes, Chronic Renal Failure, Parkinsonism) until proven in clinical studies, and furthermore that those studies are reproducible, you are advised that: This research is not intended to provide direct medical benefit to you or anyone else. Your participation will potentially enhance further scientific and medical knowledge and may lead to disease treatments in the future.

• Are there any known side effects of the therapy?

The side effects of the procedure are minimal and self-limiting. Less than 10% of patients develop a minor fever, headache, or nausea, however these side effects typically last no longer than 24 hours and are experienced mostly by patients with sensitivity to mild anaesthesia. No long-term negative side effects have been reported.

• What are my rights if I take part in this study?

Taking part in this study is your choice. You may choose either to take part or not to take part in the study. If you decide to take part in this study, you may leave the study at any time.

We will tell you about new information or changes in the study that may affect your health or your willingness to continue in the study.

• How will your privacy be protected?

We have regulations to protect your private health information. By signing the consent form you provide your permission; your “authorization,” for the use and disclosure of information protected by the Privacy Law.

The research team working on the study will collect information about you in form of documents, media and statistical data. Collected information includes things learned from the procedures described in this consent form. They may also collect other information including your name, address, date of birth, and information from your medical records.

The research team will know your identity and that you are in the research study. Other people at our hospital, particularly your doctors, may also see or give out your information. We make this information available to your doctors for your safety. If you think this study might affect your clinical care, please inform your doctor.

People outside our hospital may need to see or receive your information for this study. Examples include government agencies (such as the Food and Drug Administration), safety monitors, and companies that sponsor the study. Organizations that may look at and/or copy your medical records for research, quality assurance, and data analysis include study sponsor, monitors, IRB/IEC, regulatory authorities/government agencies.

We cannot conduct this study on you without your authorization to use and give out your information. You are not required to give us this authorization. If you do not, then you may not join this study. We try to ensure that every person or entity needing access to your information, keeps it confidential.

The use and disclosure of your information has no time limit. You may cancel your permission to use and disclose your information at any time by notifying the Principal Investigator of this study by phone or in writing. If you contact the Principal Investigator by phone, you must follow-up with a written request that includes the study number and your contact information. The Principal Investigator can be reached by phone at or by sending a letter to institute address. If you do cancel your authorization to use and disclose your information, your part in this study will end and no further information about you will be collected. Your revocation (cancellation) would not affect information already collected in the study, or information we disclosed before you wrote to the Principal Investigator to cancel your authorization.

You should know that a Confidentiality Certificate does not prevent you or a member of your family from voluntarily releasing information about you or your involvement in this research. If an insurer or employer learns about your participation and obtains your consent to receive research information, then we may not use the Certificate of Confidentiality to withhold this information. This means that you and your family must also actively protect your privacy.

You should also understand that your doctor and the group conducting this study may take steps, including reporting to authorities, to prevent you from seriously harming yourself or others.

• Will health insurance cover the cost?

Any health insurance does not cover the cost of this procedure. Be aware of stem cell companies advertising that insurance will cover some, if not all of the stem cell therapy. This is misleading as only labs and/or a negligible amount may be covered by the patient's insurance. NOVO Institute covers the lab costs for the vast majority of patients regardless.

• What treatment costs will be paid if you are injured in this study?

We do not have programs to pay you if you are hurt or have other bad results because of participating in the study. However, medical care at our hospital is open to you as it is to all sick or injured people.

If you have health insurance: The costs for any treatment or hospital care you receive as a result of study-related injury will be billed to your health insurer. Any costs that are not paid for by your health insurer will be billed to you. If you do not have health insurance: You will be billed for the costs of any treatment or hospital care you receive as a result of a study-related injury.
By signing this form you will not give up your rights to seek compensation for injury.

• What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) and how does it protect you?

The IRB/IEC is a panel of Doctors, Scientists, Lawyers, Ethicists, Social workers and People from the local community. The IRB reviews human research studies. It protects the rights and welfare of the people taking part in those studies. You may contact the IRB if you have questions about your rights as a participant or if you think you have not been treated fairly. You may contact the IRB for other questions, concerns or complaints about the research.

• What do you do if you have questions about the study?

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about this research study, its procedures, risks and benefits, or alternative courses of treatment, you should ask the Principal Investigator of the study.

• What should you do if you are injured or ill as a result of being in this study?

If you think you are injured or ill because of this study, you should contact the Principal Investigator of the study.

• What happens to data and bio specimens that are collected in the study?

Our institute works to understand and cure diseases. The bio specimens and/or data you provide are important to this effort. If you join this study, you should understand that you would not own your bio specimens or data.

• What are the financial considerations for study treatment participation?

Costs: If you participate in this study, there will be costs to you. These include the personal time and costs incurred; travelling to the study site. This study is funded in part by the participants. Participants will pay for those services, supplies, procedures, and care associated with this study.

Reimbursement: You will not be reimbursed for expenses incurred while participating in this research study.
Sponsor: NOVO Limited will provide additional funding, cooperative research, and additional drugs, facility, equipment, accommodation or staffing resources as necessary.

• May I speak with the any successfully treated patients?

Yes you may, our administrator staff will give you few contacts of all patients treated in accordance to the study protocol.

• How do I apply for study participation and treatment?

To apply for stem cell treatment, please complete this Patient Application Form