Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
06:12
Intracerebral Transplantation and In Vivo Bioluminescence Tracking of Human Neural Progenitor Cells in the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 27, 2022
3.5K
Complications from "Stem Cell Tourism" in Neurology
Katherine Julian1,2, Nicholas Yuhasz1, Widjan Rai1
1Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Annals of Neurology
|July 8, 2020
Summary
Neurologists lack preparedness to discuss stem cell tourism, an unregulated practice offering unproven therapies. This study highlights unreported patient complications and the urgent need for neurologist education and a national complication registry.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Medical Ethics
Background:
- Stem cell tourism, offering unproven cellular treatments, is increasing in neurology.
- Patient experiences and complications from these procedures are largely unknown in the U.S.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate academic neurologists' experiences with stem cell tourism.
- To assess neurologists' perceived competency in discussing stem cell therapies with patients.
Main Methods:
- Survey of academic neurologists regarding stem cell tourism.
- Assessment of preparedness and knowledge of stem cell interventions.
Main Results:
- A significant lack of neurologist preparedness to discuss stem cell therapies was found.
- Numerous unreported complications from unregulated stem cell procedures were identified.
Conclusions:
- There is an urgent need for enhanced neurologist education on stem cell tourism.
- A national registry for reporting patient complications from experimental stem cell interventions is crucial.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:06Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
5.1K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
Somatic...
5.1K
00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
4.5K
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
4.5K
01:21Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
4.5K
Stem cell therapy is a method used in regenerative medicine to repair and restore function to damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells have the potential to proliferate and differentiate into various tissue types, making them ideal candidates for tissue regeneration. For example, hematopoietic stem cell transplants are commonly used in blood cancer treatment to replenish damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cells.
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
4.5K
01:17Stem Cell Culture
5.9K
Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...
5.9K