Unregulated Stem-Cell Clinics Are Plaguing The United States, A Study Finds Out Why

In recent years, Americans have crowd unregulated stem cell clinics in Mexico, the Caribbean and China to find everything from facelifts to medical treatments. But it looks like these "stem-cell tourists" don't have to be tourists after all, as similar clinics are popping up across their own country.

According to sacbee.com,  a new study by a stem-cell scientist at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine Paul Knoepfler, along with a partner from University of Minnesota is focusing their attention on the number of clinics in the United States that provide stem cell therapies even without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"In almost every state now, people can go locally to get stem-cell 'treatments,' " Paul Knoepfler said."That's different from what we typically think about when we think of stem-cell tourism," he continued.

The Washington Post reported that Knoepfler and co-author Leigh Turner, a bioethics professor sifted through the Internet for businesses that promotes unapproved stem cell treatments. They found a total of 351 businesses offering specific services like treatments for osteoarthritis, Alzheimer's, autism and injured spinal cords, as well as for cosmetic enhancements at 570 different clinics, and the most number of clinics were in California (113) and Florida (104).

Other cities like Beverly Hills, New York and San Antonio were also known as hot spots for people who seek stem-cell treatments. Statistics also showed that about two-thirds of the businesses offered services that used stem-cells from patient's own fat, and almost half used bone marrows. But about one-fifth of the businesses claimed to use stem cells from umbilical cord blood or amniotic or placental tissue.

A bioethicist named Arthur Caplan, who was not involved in the study, explained some of the reasons why there are growing numbers of stem cell clinics in the country. The businesses are usually not engaging in interstate commerce, which helps them "fly under the radar," said Caplan, who is the division director of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken necessary measure against businesses that perform unapproved treatments for certain conditions. Just last year, FDA sent a letter of warning to a series of clinics that run in California, Florida and New York. CBS News reported the FDA saying that these clinics allegedly use stem cells from people's fat tissues to treat Parkinson's, MS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and autism.

He also added that there's a regulatory gray area on the so-called "autologous" stem cell therapy, which refers to treatments that use a person's own stem cells. "If you have cells from your own body reinjected, it isn't clear that you're getting a 'new biologic,' "Caplan explained. "Many of these claims are outrageous," he said. "These clinics are preying on vulnerable people."

He also advised consumers to be vigilant of any procedure that is usually endorsed by celebrities, or patient testimonials.