Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2025
09:03
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Processing for Clinical Applications Using a Closed Semi-Automated Workflow
Published on: March 17, 2023
2.1K
Online seminars as an information source for direct-to-consumer stem cell therapy
Mirna Hassoun1, Sidney Golub2,3, Sheldon Greenfield1,4
1Master of Science in Biomedical & Translational Science (MS-BATS) Program, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
Regenerative Medicine
|December 24, 2021
Summary
Direct-to-consumer stem cell (SC) therapies lack clinical evidence. Seminars reviewed showed no peer-reviewed support for advertised SC treatments, indicating a need for better regulatory oversight.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biotechnology
- Healthcare Policy
Background:
- Direct-to-consumer (DTC) stem cell (SC) businesses offer therapies with varying claims.
- Regulatory oversight of these advertised SC therapies is often unclear.
- Assessing the scientific validity and safety of DTC SC treatments is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy and regulatory oversight of stem cell therapies advertised by US-based DTC businesses.
- To analyze the scientific evidence, costs, and risks associated with these stem cell treatments.
Main Methods:
- Attended in-person and online seminars from DTC stem cell businesses.
- Utilized checklists to collate data on therapeutic claims, costs, risks, evidence, and oversight.
- Reviewed seven recorded presentations and one live seminar.
Main Results:
- None of the reviewed DTC stem cell therapies were supported by robust clinical evidence.
- Advertised stem cell treatments lacked substantiation in peer-reviewed literature.
- Significant gaps in regulatory oversight were identified.
Conclusions:
- Advertised stem cell therapies by DTC clinics lack scientific validation.
- There is a critical need for enhanced regulatory scrutiny of the stem cell market.
- Patients seeking stem cell treatments should be aware of the limited evidence base.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration
4.2K
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...
4.2K
01:17Stem Cell Culture
5.6K
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...
5.6K
01:19Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells
2.8K
Epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) are mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis. These cells repair minor injuries of the skin and replace dead skin cells. However, EpiSCs’ cannot heal severe wounds such as major burns or those from diabetes or hereditary disorders. In such cases, culturing the epidermal stem cells from the patient is possible and has yielded successful treatment options, such as laboratory-grown skin grafts. These grafts are synthesized using a patient’s own...
2.8K
01:33Adult Stem Cells
30.7K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously...
30.7K
01:27Source And Potency Of Stem Cells
5.2K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with extensive self-renewal properties that help them maintain their population during the fetal and adult stages of life. They can specialize in all cell types of the human body. However, their differential potential may vary and can be classified into five types. Stem cells can be (1) Totipotent, (2) Pluripotent, (3) Multipotent, (4) Oligopotent, and (5) Unipotent. Each stem cell has a specific origin; the fertilized egg or zygote is a totipotent cell and...
5.2K
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
29.3K
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
29.3K