On her first day at work last month, when Dr Hemangi Sane stood before a group of junior doctors to give a lecture on internal medicine, she made sure that her voice was loud and clear. Two years ago, Sane's voice was barely audible and her weakening muscles had left her unable to walk. Sane, 35, was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) - a degenerative disease - in 2004.

"There is no cure for MND. Almost 50% of the patients die within two years of diagnosis," said Dr Alok Sharma, head of neurosurgery, Sion Hospital, who is treating Sane.

But in May, after a five-year break, Sane became well enough to join a city hospital as an honorary physician and trains junior doctors. Sane said the change in her condition is because of the relatively unknown stem cell therapy, which she been undergoing since 2009.

"The disease was rapidly spreading. First my fingers became weak, then the hands and lowers limbs," said the Dadar resident, who was diagnosed with the disease while working in the US after completing her MBBS from KEM Hospital at Parel and post-graduation from New York.