Stem Cell Clinics Promise Miracle Cures, but at What Cost to Patients?

Stem cell clinics have popped up all over the country, promising vast improvements in serious conditions, and offering patient testimonials to back up their claims. At the same time, these clinics are skating a line, carefully warning that these are anecdotal statements and that such treatment “…is not a cure for any medical condition.” This particular legal statement comes from the website of StemGenex, of La Jolla, Calif., recently the focus of an exposé by the L.A. Times.  

Such clinics use direct marketing techniques to approach patients with serious conditions, hinting that an “intervention” will improve symptoms dramatically. Alzheimer’s patients and those who have children with autism are particularly targeted. According to one researcher, who attended an informational session at a clinic, “There were people in the audience suffering from various conditions that made them a fairly vulnerable population.” Some experts wonder whether the dramatic turnarounds patients claim in testimonials is not just the placebo effect or a short-term improvement, which may not last.

Over 500 stem cell clinics have opened their doors across the country...