No matter how many times I hear stories of medical tourism for stem cell therapy, it’s never really settling because of unproven stem-cell treatments that lack appropriate oversight or patient monitoring. And clinics targeting medical tourists may use poorly characterized cells. (Oh, did we forget to mention that the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) condemns it?)
The Ledger has posted a couple of stories regarding young kids with congenital disorders who have parents that want to take risky measures at desperate times. A mother is trying to raise $50,000 to take her 8-year-old daughter to Thailand for stem cell therapy to treat optic nerve hypoplasia. Another 5-year-old boy was sent to China for treatment of the same disorder and has “improved drastically.” We’ll look forward to see the long-term effects of these therapies.
[Via The Ledger]
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