Your Best Access to Stem Cell Information Online

Stem cell treatments are being touted around the world without the necessary safeguards that ensure they are safe, or likely to be effective for the condition in question.  This not only places the individual patient at potential risk, but can also jeopardize the whole progress of stem cell treatment as a safe and effective approach to therapy.  Last year the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) formed a task force to make recommendations for the creation of a web-based resource for patients and professionals that evaluates the claims of advertised stem cell treatments.  The result is the website: “A Closer Look at Stem Cell Treatments”.      

The ads and quasi-scientific articles often make exaggerated claims of efficacy, underestimation of potential risks, and fail to disclose methods and results that would allow you to check on these possibilities.  The website will tell you all you need to know about stem cell therapy, and provide the information needed to assess the claims of specific treatment approaches. 

For patients embarking on a stem cell clinical trial, the Patient Handbook (cited on the website) provides a simple, understandable explanation of what to ask or find out before the final sign-up.  For people who are curious about the background to the need for the website and handbook, see the article in Cell Stem Cell.