Stem cells have been studied for decades but scientists and doctors are divided in their practice in terms of conducting stem cell therapies, mostly questioning its scientific merit and effectivity. Nonetheless, more and more clinics in the U.S. have been discovered to offer and advertise unproven stem cell therapies to desperate patients who are eager to find effective medication.
Marketing and offering stem cell therapies clashes with federal law because in most states, clinics still do not have approval to conduct them. A number of the therapies also lack scientific evidence that it actually works to treat consumers or patients that rely on the treatment to do wonders. This is according to a UC Davis study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell as reported by San Francisco Gate.
The clinics that market and offer stem cell therapies are spread out across the country. Most of them are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New York and Texas (via CBS News). There are 570 clinics found in almost every U.S. state. These stem cell therapies are offered in the market as treatment for different medical conditions, ranging from mild bone injuries to serious brain diseases (via San Francisco Gate).
The study acknowledges that the clinics do offer stem cell therapies that are effective but some are not supported by science and most are "outlandish" and are not backed up by research. For instance, some clinics market the use of stem cells derived from a patient's fat and claim that it can allegedly cure heart disease, diabetes, urinary continence and sexual dysfunction. Some clinics even offer treatment for children with autism or cerebral palsy (via San Francisco Gate).
According to MIT Technology Review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have regulations to allow and restrict cell-based therapies. One of the illegal therapies is the non-homologous stem cell therapy wherein the doctor would take cells from one tissue and transfer it to an unrelated organ.
This is exactly what the clinics identified in the UC Davis study are doing. There is no evidence that non-homologous therapies are dangerous but there is also no research backing up its safety in treating patients.
A bioethicist and co-author of the study, Leigh Turner reminds people to be wary of clinics offering stem cell therapies, as per CBS News. Not only do most of these clinics give false hopes but patients can also be seriously affected as experienced by two elders in Florida who died after a stem cell procedure.
Until now, stem cell therapies still do not have enough research and evidence to support their safety and effectivity. In your opinion, is it okay for clinics to conduct stem cell therapy without sufficient research or should doctors wait until enough scientific evidence has been gathered? Share your thoughts on the Comments section below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
