EmCell Clinic

EmCell Clinic (Embryonic Tissues Centre EmCell) is a private medical facility located at 17 Solomenskaya Street, Kyiv, Ukraine. The clinic was founded in 1994 by its medical director Prof. Alexander Ivanovich Smikodub and has since operated as a centre for fetal (embryonic) stem cell therapy — a treatment approach that uses cellular material derived from fetal tissue to attempt to treat a range of chronic, degenerative, and genetic conditions.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PATIENTS: EmCell Clinic's treatment model involves the use of human embryonic or fetal tissue-derived stem cells — a practice that is banned, unlicensed, or strictly regulated in most Western countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and EU member states. The scientific evidence base for the treatments promoted by EmCell for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ALS, and anti-ageing is not supported by the body of randomised controlled trial evidence required for regulatory approval in mainstream healthcare systems. Regulatory agencies including the US FDA, EMA (European Medicines Agency), and MHRA (UK) have not approved embryonic fetal stem cell transplantation for these indications. Patients considering travel to EmCell or similar facilities should consult with their regular specialist physician, review published peer-reviewed evidence for the proposed treatment, and understand that the risks — including immunological reactions, infection, and uncertain long-term outcomes — may be significant.

EmCell has operated continuously for over three decades under Ukrainian healthcare regulatory standards and states it has treated thousands of patients from multiple countries. The clinic is regulated by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health under Ukrainian law, which permits the use of embryonic stem cell treatments under specific regulatory conditions — regulations that differ substantially from those of EU and US jurisdictions. MyMedicPlus presents this profile for informational purposes only and does not endorse or recommend unproven stem cell therapies.

EmCell Clinic markets embryonic/fetal stem cell transplantation as a treatment for a range of conditions including: Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, blood diseases, rare genetic and hereditary diseases, and conditions related to ageing and hormonal decline. The clinic states that fetal stem cells are administered 'in vivo' — meaning to living patients — and claims to have performed over 5,000 such transplantations.

Scientific context and cautions: The treatments offered by EmCell are categorically distinct from mainstream stem cell medicine. Mainstream evidence-based stem cell therapies include haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (bone marrow transplant) for blood cancers — a well-validated, widely available, and regulatory-approved treatment. The treatments offered by EmCell differ in that they involve fetal tissue (not adult autologous or allogeneic haematopoietic cells), and target conditions for which no robust phase III randomised controlled trial evidence exists to support fetal stem cell treatment efficacy. The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), the leading international scientific organisation for stem cell science, advises patients to exercise caution when considering unproven stem cell interventions and to specifically ask providers for peer-reviewed clinical evidence of efficacy published in reputable indexed journals, transparent disclosure of risks, and whether treatment is part of a properly registered clinical trial. Patients are encouraged to check the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) patient guidance at isscr.org before considering any stem cell clinic outside mainstream regulatory frameworks.

EmCell Clinic is located at 17 Solomenskaya Street, Kyiv, Ukraine (postal code 03110). The clinic has operated from this Kyiv location since the 1990s, providing outpatient-based treatment administration and associated medical assessment, laboratory testing, and patient monitoring services. The facility is a private medical clinic sized appropriately for its outpatient administration model — treatment is administered over defined treatment courses typically lasting several days to weeks, during which patients visit the clinic for cell administration sessions and monitoring. Laboratory services support the clinic's patient assessment and post-treatment follow-up. The clinic's operational status as of 2026 should be verified directly — the ongoing conflict in Ukraine since February 2022, while primarily affecting eastern and southern Ukraine, has had impacts on Kyiv's infrastructure and logistics. International patients planning to travel to Kyiv for any medical treatment should monitor their government's travel advisories and verify the clinic's operational status at infocenter@emcell.com or +38 067 503 0926 before making travel arrangements.

EmCell Clinic markets primarily to international patients from Europe, North America, Asia, and elsewhere who are seeking treatments unavailable in their home countries due to regulatory restrictions. The clinic communicates in English and Ukrainian, and has historically provided logistical support including accommodation guidance and treatment scheduling for visiting international patients. International patients considering EmCell should note: (1) They should consult with their regular specialist physician and seek a second opinion before proceeding. (2) The treatments are not approved by the medical regulatory bodies of EU countries, the USA, the UK, Canada, or Australia. (3) The ongoing conflict in Ukraine since 2022 has implications for travel safety and logistics in Kyiv. International travel to Ukraine should be assessed against current government travel advisories. (4) Comprehensive travel and medical insurance should be arranged before traveling, with specific attention to whether emergency repatriation coverage is included. (5) Patients should request written documentation of the specific cells to be administered, the full treatment protocol, the risks and potential adverse events, and any follow-up care obligations before signing consent.

EmCell Clinic operates under the licensing and regulatory framework of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health (MOH Ukraine). The clinic is licensed to operate as a medical facility in Ukraine, and the use of fetal stem cell preparations in clinical settings is regulated (and permitted under specific conditions) by Ukrainian law — in contrast to the prohibition or strict regulatory restriction of such treatments in EU countries and the USA. Ukrainian regulatory standards for private medical facilities require Ministry of Health licensing, compliance with clinical facility standards, and physician qualification requirements. However, these standards do not equate to the approval frameworks of the EMA, US FDA, or MHRA for novel cellular and gene therapies, which require Phase I, II, and III randomised controlled trials demonstrating efficacy and safety before approval. MyMedicPlus has assigned this profile a lower priority rating (4) and a 'needs-verification' status reflecting the clinic's unproven treatment model. Patients should conduct independent research using resources including the ISSCR patient guide (isscr.org/patients), ClinicalTrials.gov (to check for any registered trials), and PubMed (to assess peer-reviewed publications). This profile presents factual information about EmCell's existence and claims; it does not constitute endorsement of the clinic's treatments.