Concerns About Stem Cell Tourism

Organizations outside the United States have begun advertising stem cell-based cures for disease, and in increasing numbers Americans are traveling to receive these cures. Unfortunately, at this time none of those advertised therapies have been shown to be either safe or effective.

Researchers such as Jeanne Loring, director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute, worry that people could be harmed through the untested procedures that they receive when they embark on stem cell tourism.

Two additonal resources for learning more about stem cell tourism are Loring’s web site, where she discusses the dangers of stem cell tourism and the International Society for Stem Cell Research patient handbook.