Glioneuronal Growth Infiltrating Lumbosacral Nerve Roots Following Intrathecal Stem Cell Injections Highlighting Perils of Stem Cell Tourism

Rahangdale, Rahul; Rana, Sandeep; Prakash, Prarthana; Ali, Mohammad Daud; Flaherty, Mary; Synowiec, Andrea; Baser, Susan; Scott, Thomas F.

doi:10.1002/mdc3.12741

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is important for the practitioner to be aware of approved cellular therapies and the potential harm that can result in using unproven cellular therapies. Table 1 describes some of the key studies where adverse events were reported for unproven cellular therapies 3–13 . In most of the representative studies, the country of residence of the patient was different from where the patient sought and received therapy, thereby emphasizing the tourism aspect of cellular therapies (Table 1).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table 1 describes some of the key studies where adverse events were reported for unproven cellular therapies. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] In most of the representative studies, the country of residence of the patient was different from where the patient sought and received therapy, thereby emphasizing the tourism aspect of cellular therapies (Table 1). In addition, cellular therapies have not been approved for the treatment of any of the diseases described and it has been shown that the cellular interventions did not improve or halt the course of the disease.…”

Section: Case Reportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

How do I: Evaluate the safety and legitimacy of unproven cellular therapies?

Guleria

Muñiz

Wilgo³

et al. 2022

Transfusion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Unproven cellular therapies are being offered to patients for a variety of conditions and diseases for which other treatments have failed. The use of untested cellular therapies is a worldwide problem. Practitioners (e.g., physicians, scientists, QA/QI facility managers, and policy advocates) are perhaps unaware of the risks involved with such therapies. Therefore, a critical need exists to bring attention to the potential limitations and adverse effects of these therapies to inform and limit misinformation. Study Design and Methods We describe the extent of the unproven cellular therapy problem through a search of scientific literature and social media coverage. We also describe the regulatory framework that can be used by the practitioner to review and evaluate both proven and unproven cellular therapies. Results We report on the current state of unproven cellular therapies across the globe. A workflow to facilitate an understanding of the regulatory processes involved in the approval of cellular therapies is provided as well as a list of warnings required by regulatory agencies on various products. It is hoped that this article will serve as a tool kit to educate the practitioner on navigating the field of unproven cellular therapy products. Discussion Increasing awareness of the issues associated with unproven therapies through education is important to help in reducing misinformation and risks to patients.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Reportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do I: Evaluate the safety and legitimacy of unproven cellular therapies?

Guleria

Muñiz

Wilgo³

et al. 2022

Transfusion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While individual motivations to seek unproven and unregulated therapies may vary, they are underpinned by hope and the desire to exhaust all available options. 9 Many patients pursue these treatments in desperation 12 and when conventional medicine fails to adequately alleviate their symptoms. 13 Although disease-modifying treatments exist for some conditions, patients living with progressive diseases are largely limited to symptomatic therapies.…”

Section: Motivations For Stem Cell Tourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

International stem cell tourism: a critical literature review and evidence-based recommendations

Lyons

Salgaonkar

Flaherty

2021

International Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stem cell tourism is an emerging area of medical tourism activity. Frustrated by the slow translation of stem cell research into clinical practice, patients with debilitating conditions often seek therapeutic options that are not appropriately regulated. This review summarises recent developments in the field of stem cell tourism and provides clinicians with the information necessary to provide basic pretravel health advice to stem cell tourists. PubMed and Scopus databases were consulted for relevant publications, using combinations of the terms ‘stem cell’, ‘tourism’, ‘regenerative medicine’, ‘international’, ‘travel medicine’ and ‘environmental health’. The leading countries in the international stem cell tourism market are the USA, China, India, Thailand and Mexico. As the majority of clinics offering stem cell therapies are based in low- and-middle-income countries, stem cell tourists place themselves at risk of receiving an unproven treatment, coupled with the risk of travel-related illnesses. These clinics do not generally provide even basic travel health information on their websites. In addition to often being ineffective, stem cell therapies are associated with complications such as infection, rejection and tumorigenesis. Physicians, researchers, regulatory bodies, advocacy groups and medical educators are encouraged to work together to improve patient and physician education and address current legislative deficiencies.

show abstract