While reportedly effective, the treatments have yet to receive regulatory approval
Previously only available outside of Canada, a new type of stem-cell treatment is being offered at clinics in Ontario and Alberta. But while the procedure has potential, it’s mostly still not proven to be effective — and not approved by Canadian health regulators.
The treatment involves the use of stem cells, which can “differentiate” or transform into other specialized types of cells, according to a National Post report. The stem cells, which are harvested from patients’ fatty tissue or bone marrow, get injected into problematic sites, where they theoretically repair or replace tissue that’s been damaged through disease or injury.
For years, Canadian patients suffering ailments ranging from joint pains to skin conditions have sought the treatment in Mexico, China, or the US. Now, they can get it at a handful of clinics for anywhere from $750 to $3,900.
This has provoked concerns among academics. Ubaka Ogbogu, a health law professor at the University of Alberta, cited cases where US patients went blind after getting injections in their eyes. In other cases, he said, bony masses or tumours developed at injection sites.
“Stem cells have to be controlled to act exactly the way you want them to act,” Ogbogu said. “It is simply wrong for these clinics to take a proof of concept and run with it.”
Most procedures currently offered are for joint pain, which other experts say are likely relatively safe. Still, they warn that practitioners should take care against stem cells developing in the wrong place or into the wrong tissue type.
Dr. Douglas Stoddard, medical director at stem-cell clinic Regenervate, said 80% of patients who’ve had injections at his clinic report less pain, stiffness, and weakness within a few months. “I believe medical progress is not just limited to the laboratory,” he said.
A handful of clinics in Ontario and Alberta offer the treatment for orthopedic issues. One clinic also uses it for back conditions and nerve damage. The Orthopedic Sport Institute in Collingwood, Ontario says its doctor focuses on “FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and Health Canada approved stem-cell injection therapy.”
However, no stem-cell treatment offered by the clinics has ever been authorized. According to Health Canada, the vast majority of stem-cell treatments would constitute a drug and need to undergo a clinical trial or new drug submission. A treatment for graft-versus-host disease, Prochymal, is the only stem-cell treatment that’s been approved, but it’s different from the ones at the clinics.
Academic experts remain skeptical of the procedures. David Hart, an orthopedic surgery professor at the University of Calgary, said the relief patients feel is likely due to anti-inflammatory secretions from the cells rather than actual regeneration. According to Jeff Biernaskie, a stem-cell scientist at the same university, it’s unclear if clinics even know how many cells they inject into their patients.
While the FDA in the US is actively going after hundreds of stem-cell clinics, Health Canada has only committed to take action on complaints that it receives.
Related stories:
To avoid long waiting periods, Canadian patients head south
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The treatment involves the use of stem cells, which can “differentiate” or transform into other specialized types of cells, according to a National Post report. The stem cells, which are harvested from patients’ fatty tissue or bone marrow, get injected into problematic sites, where they theoretically repair or replace tissue that’s been damaged through disease or injury.
For years, Canadian patients suffering ailments ranging from joint pains to skin conditions have sought the treatment in Mexico, China, or the US. Now, they can get it at a handful of clinics for anywhere from $750 to $3,900.
This has provoked concerns among academics. Ubaka Ogbogu, a health law professor at the University of Alberta, cited cases where US patients went blind after getting injections in their eyes. In other cases, he said, bony masses or tumours developed at injection sites.
“Stem cells have to be controlled to act exactly the way you want them to act,” Ogbogu said. “It is simply wrong for these clinics to take a proof of concept and run with it.”
Most procedures currently offered are for joint pain, which other experts say are likely relatively safe. Still, they warn that practitioners should take care against stem cells developing in the wrong place or into the wrong tissue type.
Dr. Douglas Stoddard, medical director at stem-cell clinic Regenervate, said 80% of patients who’ve had injections at his clinic report less pain, stiffness, and weakness within a few months. “I believe medical progress is not just limited to the laboratory,” he said.
A handful of clinics in Ontario and Alberta offer the treatment for orthopedic issues. One clinic also uses it for back conditions and nerve damage. The Orthopedic Sport Institute in Collingwood, Ontario says its doctor focuses on “FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and Health Canada approved stem-cell injection therapy.”
However, no stem-cell treatment offered by the clinics has ever been authorized. According to Health Canada, the vast majority of stem-cell treatments would constitute a drug and need to undergo a clinical trial or new drug submission. A treatment for graft-versus-host disease, Prochymal, is the only stem-cell treatment that’s been approved, but it’s different from the ones at the clinics.
Academic experts remain skeptical of the procedures. David Hart, an orthopedic surgery professor at the University of Calgary, said the relief patients feel is likely due to anti-inflammatory secretions from the cells rather than actual regeneration. According to Jeff Biernaskie, a stem-cell scientist at the same university, it’s unclear if clinics even know how many cells they inject into their patients.
While the FDA in the US is actively going after hundreds of stem-cell clinics, Health Canada has only committed to take action on complaints that it receives.
Related stories:
To avoid long waiting periods, Canadian patients head south
Ottawa woman with life-threatening disease pleads for medication coverage
