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Stem therapy can lead to cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Researchers from the Ohio State University have urged their colleagues to be careful when prescribing stem cell treatment to patients, as such treatment may not only cure the disease, but also provoke serious changes in the body, in particular malignant tumors.
A group of neurologists have found that stem cells are not so harmless. Many European clinics offer stem cell therapy as the most effective method of treating such serious diseases as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthrosis, cardiovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis, etc.
Stem cells can turn into any cell in the body, which is why experts believe that these cells can become a panacea for all diseases.
In the United States, so-called "stem tourism" has recently become popular among patients, especially in cases of severe or incurable diseases. Moreover, clinics that offer such treatment are located not only in the United States, but also in India, China, Latin America and some CIS countries.
An article was published in one of the scientific journals, which mentioned the problem of "stem tourism". Many patients with diseases of the nervous system, sclerosis, malignant tumors, which modern methods of treatment do not help, are ready to resort to stem therapy.
But doctors warn that introducing such cells into the body can cause a double reaction. On the one hand, such therapy can really be a salvation, but on the other, it can be life-threatening.
Professor Alta Caro, an employee of the University of Wisconsin, published an article in one of the scientific journals, where it was especially emphasized that to date there is very little evidence of the therapeutic benefits of stem therapy (the only exception is bone marrow stem cells).
However, doctors around the world continue to leave hope for a cure with stem cell therapy. Neurologists, together with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, are calling on their colleagues not to give hope to terminally ill patients and not to advertise such clinics in their own interests.
Today, stem cell therapy is gaining momentum, for example, in the UK the world's first factory for the production of stem cells intended for treatment may begin operations.
It is planned to produce stem cells from an artificial polymer material (specially developed for these purposes). Such a polymer will be used as a nutrient medium for the growth of embryonic cells.
Stem cells are widely used in regenerative medicine, for example, 5 billion stem cells are needed to recover from a myocardial infarction. In addition, in the UK, in a couple of years, it is planned to conduct trials involving 20 volunteers, to whom researchers will inject 10 ml of artificial blood, the basis of which will be stem cells.
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