Controversial 'Stem Cell Tourism' Attracts Ailing AmericansTodd Finkelmeyer

To many scientists, those promoting what is sometimes referred to as "stem cell tourism" are nothing more than the 21st century's version of the snake oil salesman.

Fueled by sometimes desperate patients who are willing to travel the globe for cures, dozens of companies around the world are marketing injections of stem cells as life-changing treatments, or even cures, for everything from Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease, to heart failure, spinal injuries and other tough-to-treat conditions.

"Medical tourism for stem cells is very controversial," said Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute and the driving force behind the World Stem Cell Summit, which concluded its two-day run at the Alliant Energy Center's Exhibition Hall on Tuesday.

"If someone is a patient whom you know, a loved one who has an affliction for which there's no cure, should they travel if someone is offering stem cell treatment of some kind in Asia, central America or Europe?

"What if their physician confers with them and they find out there are some guidelines and informed consent, should we condemn that person for seeking a treatment or cure?

"Or what if the lab that's doing the procedure won't tell you what cells are being used and is charging $50,000 for an injection, is that fair? Should we condemn this as a scientific community? Should we seek to shut it down?

"This is really an important subject."
Although researchers across the United States are investigating stem cells and their potential use as treatment for many diseases, currently only blood stem cell transplants have proven beneficial to help treat blood disorders, such as leukemia and immune deficiencies.

Therefore, American patients seeking injections of stem cells from embryos, fetuses and umbilical cords must travel overseas for the controversial therapies because the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve such treatments as safe and effective.

While it's nearly impossible to give an exact count, and based merely on claims made by these overseas stem cell companies, published reports indicate that at least a few thousand patients from the United States have traveled abroad to try these treatments. The going rate for these stem cell injections tends to run from $12,500 to $50,000.

The Web sites that generally promote these overseas stem cell therapies -- many of which advertise clinics in China, India, Mexico and the Ukraine -- mostly rely on patient testimonials as proof the treatments are safe and effective. Critics often say these Web sites have the feel of infomercials pushing the latest weight loss breakthrough.

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