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Stem Cells 2 Go
Article

Stem Cells 2 Go

Japan has turned regenerative medicine into a regulatory free-for-all. Patients across the world could pay the price.

Nature, 2019


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

If you were offered an unproven treatment to make you feel younger or stave off illness, would you accept it? Proponents of stem-cell-based therapies are banking you would. This eye-opening article aims to raise awareness of the fact that in Japan and elsewhere, such therapies are becoming increasingly available despite concerns they are largely unproven and in some cases may be harmful. Will biomedical research ultimately prove them beneficial? This piece doesn’t offer a definitive answer, but it does raise important questions about standards of proof in the regulation of medical care.

Take-Aways

  • Clinics that use stem cells to treat a variety of conditions are becoming widespread in Japan, where government regulations encourage them.
  • There is little evidence such treatments work, and they may cause harm.
  • Clinics offering regenerative therapies are becoming more common around the world.

About the Authors

David Cyranoski is a senior reporter for Nature in Beijing. Additional reporting by Brendan Maher.