Controversial stem cell treatments for human patients are just one of the issues that will be raised in a new misconduct hearing involving a doctor with offices on London’s prestigious Harley Street.

A Fitness to Practise Panel of the General Medical Council – which regulates doctors in the UK – meets today to consider the behaviour of Robert Trossel. Among the allegations under consideration are that Trossel “offered, and made false claims about” stem cell therapy and other procedures to patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“It is alleged that, in doing so, Dr Trossel’s actions were unjustifiable on the basis of the available scientific or clinical medical evidence, inappropriate, not in the best interests of the patients, exploitative of vulnerable patients, false, misleading, dishonest and an abuse of his position as a doctor,” says a statement on the GMC website.

In its notice of the hearing – scheduled to run between 11 January and 5 March – the GMC also says, “It is further alleged that on 17 February 2009 Dr Trossel was convicted in the Court of First Instance of the Court District of Antwerp of Failing to comply with the statutory provision that every removal and transplant of tissues, cells and organs must be carried out by a physician at a hospital as laid down by the Belgian Hospital Act of 23 December 1963 by removing or transplanting stem cells at a place which was not a recognised Hospital.”

The GMC has the power to remove doctors from a UK register and thereby remove their right to practise medicine in the country.

Nature has asked the Trossel’s solicitors for comment on the allegations.

Trossel’s name has appeared in the past in investigations of stem cell therapy by the BBC and the Guardian.