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The source of this article is the Sydney Herald Sun: http://tinyurl.com/7q3dj Forever young: Grollo seeks longer life Craig Binnie 20jun05 ONE of Australia's richest men is paying a fortune for experimental stem-cell treatment in China in a bid to live longer. Bruno Grollo and his wife, Pierina, both 63, are among dozens of rich and sick Australians queueing up for the fountain-of-youth treatment. The controversial process -- which is believed to involve the use of fertilised eggs harvested from genetically perfect female Chinese donors -- is illegal in Australia. The treatment claims to wind back the clock on a range of diseases. It is also claimed the secret technique leaves participants looking and feeling years younger. Promoters of the technology hail it as a potential cure for degenerative ailments including diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, arthritis and chronic fatigue. Sources close to Mr Grollo confirmed that he was undergoing the radical procedure. They said Melbourne's building king, worth about $720 million, plans to return to China in August for a second treatment. The Grollos want the treatment for its reputed anti-ageing benefits. The treatment costs up to $40,000 a session and involves between six and 20 injections with secret stem-cell activation material. Melbourne naturopath Michael Wilson accompanied the magnate to China. Mr Wilson said he had also undergone the treatment and had been stunned by the results. "I have seen someone with end stage liver cancer, who was yellow, who returned to normal colour," he said. The treatment is also attracting sportspeople and Hollywood stars, including one former Olympic medallist. Stem cells have the potential to produce any kind of cell in the body. Medical researchers believe stem cells have the potential to change the face of human disease by being used to repair specific tissues or to grow organs. The belief is that if the body's stem cells can be stimulated or encouraged to grow, they can repair any damage in the body. Researchers say that just as some lizards can regrow their tail or leg if it drops off, stem cells have an inbuilt memory that theoretically should allow them to grow into any part of the body that has been damaged or degenerated. For example, it is believed skin that has aged can be be brought back, at least closer to its original state. Mr Wilson has led two visits to China. He said participants claimed improved skin, fading wrinkles, better eyesight, more consistent urination and enhanced sexual prowess. Users also report they have slept better than they have for decades. Mr Wilson said the treatment could not cure all diseases but he said it was useful for degenerative conditions and the effects of ageing. He said it would not cure cancer but, once a cancer had received conventional treatment, the stem-cell therapy could help the body recover better and faster. He said the impact could be immediate on particular ailments and improvements could continue for up to three years. "Some people, when they have got certain problems, you can see changes very quickly," he said. "With others, with the skin and all sorts of other things, it's a very gradual change." The man behind the treatment is Dr Xuetao Pei, one of the world's leaders in the field of regenerative medicine. Mr Wilson said the researchers did not want to reveal the exact details of the procedure so as not to tip off their competitors in the field. However, he did say the material injected into the participant was taken from a blastocyst line. Blastocysts are created by fertilising a woman's egg with sperm in a test tube. When the blastocyst is about six days old it is manipulated and a cell line is developed and stimulated to grow and reproduce. The material produced is then collected and prepared for injection into the patient. To create a blastocyst, an egg has to be extracted from a woman. If the embryo was implanted back into the woman, it could become a baby. Researchers say it is possible to continue growing the required material for years from the one blastocyst. Australian rules for harvesting cells dictate that embryos must have been created for the purpose of assisted reproduction and the permission of donor parents must be obtained. The Chinese clinic carrying out the procedure is being inundated by calls from doctors around the globe as news of the world-first technique spreads among exclusive circles. "We don't really want to publicise it because we don't have any more room for any more people right now," Mr Wilson said. "They are working to capacity." It is the second marriage for both Grollos. Mr Grollo's first wife, Dina, died in December 2001 after a heart attack, while Ms Biondo lost her husband, Dino, to cancer the same year. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn