Sales of Unproven, Unapproved Stem Cell Therapies Are Booming

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- The merchantability of unproven and unapproved stem compartment treatments has skyrocketed successful the United States, according to a caller five-year study.

The survey recovered a fourfold leap since 2016 successful the availability of the treatments, which assertion to bash everything from relieving pain to slowing aging.

People who usage these treatments are needlessly spending thousands of dollars and could beryllium putting their wellness astatine risk, survey writer Leigh Turner warned.

"One of the astir troubling features of this marketplace is that businesses selling unproven and non-FDA-approved stem cell products often usage selling misrepresentations and assertive income tactics to exploit the hope, suffering, fearfulness oregon desperation of patients," said Turner, a prof of health, nine and behaviour astatine the University of California (UC), Irvine.

Using online hunt tools, the study identified 1,480 U.S. businesses and 2,754 clinics offering purported stem compartment treatments. That compares to 351 businesses and 570 clinics that did truthful 5 years ago.

The United States present has much locations offering specified treatments than immoderate different country, including those that were erstwhile blistery spots for alleged "stem compartment tourism," the findings showed.

Stem compartment therapy, besides known arsenic regenerative medicine, has resulted successful life-saving attraction of patients with definite types of crab and humor diseases. But the information and effectiveness of stem compartment products needs further testing, according to a assemblage quality release.

In this study, the states with the highest fig of stem compartment clinics are California (347), Texas (333) and Florida (310).

The findings were published online Nov. 4 successful the diary Cell Stem Cell.

"Many of these 'clinics' are promoting unlicensed and unproven stem compartment products and assertion their interventions bash not necessitate FDA approval," said Turner, a subordinate of UC-Irvine's stem compartment probe halfway and morals person astatine its Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. "However, that couldn't beryllium further from the truth."

Turner said determination is wide promotion of products that bash necessitate authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier marketing.

"In galore cases, these clinics are utilizing misleading advertizing and predatory selling techniques," helium warned.

Claims astir the treatments see helping with symptom (85%+), orthopedic diseases and injuries (46%+), and sports-related injuries (22%+). The claims scope from helping with hair loss and slowing the aging process to strengthening the immune system to support against SARS-CoV-2, the microorganism that causes COVID-19.

Out-of-pocket costs for the treatments scope from $1,200 to $28,000, with an mean of astir $5,100.

Unproven and unapproved stem compartment products airs galore risks to patients and person caused immoderate superior harm to some, according to Turner, who added that the concern is apt to proceed unless the FDA and different agencies measurement up enforcement.

More information

Read a U.S. Food and Drug Administration informing astir unapproved stem compartment therapies.

SOURCE: University of California, Irvine, quality release, Nov. 4, 2021