Myths about Stem Cells | Stem Cells Australia | Dispelling myths | Stem Cells Australia

Dispelling myths

Trying to sort the stem cell fact from the fiction? We've put together more information about these common misconceptions. Click the arrow to reveal our response in the box below.

sca cell images Dispelling myths

The treatment is 'natural' and carries no risk because it uses my own cells.

Just because the cells come from you does not automatically make them safe. It matters how they are obtained, by whom, how they are processed, and where and how they are given back to the patient.

It's true that treatments using your body's own cells (known as 'autologous’ treatments or transplants) are less likely to be contaminated with a contagious disease or trigger rejection from your immune system. However, there are still risks involved.

Unfortunately, there have been cases where patients treated with cells from their own fat had those cells grow into bone fragments and tumours, as well as patients being left blind and even dying following so called ‘autologous stem cell treatments.’

Safety can also be influenced by:

  • the practitioner's training and knowledge of the condition being treated,
  • the equipment used to obtain or prepare the cells,
  • the actual method of administering the cells to the patient, and
  • the patient's existing health.

For example, an elderly woman in Sydney being treated for dementia with what was claimed to be stem cells from her own fat bled to death hours after visiting a local stem cell clinic. This was not a proven form of treatment for her condition and the doctor involved has been disciplined.

If the treatment is available in Australia it must have been approved.

For over a decade there has been a controversial loophole in Australian regulations that has enabled some doctors to sell unproven stem cell treatments. These concerning and expensive practices claim to use the patient’s own stem cells but there are questions around what exactly is being injected into patients, whether it works or is even safe.

The Australian Government has recently introduced new changes to our legislation that should make it more difficult for these clinics to operate, but you need to still do your research. Make sure you talk to your trusted doctor about any treatment before you buy. Also make sure the doctor who is offering the treatment has the appropriate knowledge and training in your specific condition. – Please note that “Stem Cell Specialist” is not a real professional designation.

Regulators are too slow and are holding-up access to new stem cell treatments.

While it is true that meeting standards required by regulators - including doing clinical trials - can be slow, it is important that regulators make sure a new treatment is safe for use and provides help to patients.

Without these important checks and balances, patients may waste their time and money, or develop complications – possibly even worse than the condition that they hoped to treat.

I heard about the treatment on TV, so it must be okay.

Regulators, other government agencies, and broadcasters have been slow to challenge marketing claims made by stem cell clinics in Australia and abroad. It has been far too easy for clinics to buy ‘air time’ and simply advertise that they can already treat a condition with stem cells – even though there is little science to support their claims.

However, in 2019, Google announced it would no longer accept advertisements for "unproven or experimental medical techniques," as these treatments ”can lead to dangerous outcomes and we feel they have no place on our platforms". This ban includes companies advertising stem cell therapies.

While it remains to be seen how Google will assess and enforce this new policy, the move has been welcomed by scientific organisations and patient groups. When combined with new Australian laws, this should mean that it will be more difficult for stem cell clinics to continue advertising on TV, radio, online, in newspapers, cinemas, and elsewhere. If you do see an advertisement that mentions stem cells, please make sure you talk to your General Practitioner or Specialist about what you have observed. You could also report concerning practices to TGA and ACCC.

While Australia was a leader in stem cell research, we have been left behind in recent years.

Australian researchers are international leaders in stem cell science and are working in collaboration with scientists, doctors, and industry groups at a national and international level to advance new therapies as quickly as possible. They are working hard to take promising research from the lab to the clinic as quickly and as safely as possible.

They also want to do it right and make sure that potential new treatments are tested in clinical trials to make sure that they are safe and that they work how they should. Where a clinical trial is conducted depends on many factors. Just because a trial is not happening here in Australia, it does not mean that Australians will be denied access once the treatment has been fully evaluated.

The science behind treatment is being patented so it must be cutting edge and well recognised.

Some companies use the phrase “patent pending” as a way to justify why they are yet to test their approach in a clinic trial or publish their findings. Just because a company or individual is trying to protect their idea, it is not an acceptable excuse to bypass research into the safety and effectiveness of a treatment, or the need for review from respected experts and regulators.

A doctor or clinic offering experimental treatment is expected to undertake a registered clinical trial, to collect data, and then to publish their results in peer-reviewed medical journals so that others can learn from their experience and that of the patients who participated in the clinical trials.

Since there can be serious, and even deadly consequences for rushing a treatment to market, it is in everyone's best interests that thorough testing occurs.

The stem cell treatment I’m looking at is expensive but worth the price.

A high price tag is no guarantee that a treatment is safe or effective. There have been reports of many expensive treatments, costing patients and their families thousands of dollars, that have been at best, ineffective, and at worst, simply dangerous.

While the marketing material you receive can be compelling, you need to ask the tough questions to find out whether there is evidence to back-up the claims. Make sure you talk to your doctor who knows you and your condition about what you have been offered by the private clinic.

Celebrities and famous athletes are having the treatment, so it must be ok.

Some celebrities and athletes receive free treatment in the hopes that they will one day become "influencers" or appear in marketing material. Others may have financial ties to the clinics they endorse. While the treatment may appear to have helped, one person's experience is no substitute for impartial evidence gathered in a properly run clinical trial.

Just remember that the favourable patient interview or report you have seen, taken just hours or days after the treatment, is a poor indication of whether the implied benefit has been sustained over time.

We hear that science is advancing all the time, but there seems to only be a handful of recognised stem cell treatments.

It's a long way from the lab to the clinic. This is not just true of stem cell research, but other cutting-edge treatments such as gene therapy and immunotherapy. We need a lot of basic science to be done well to understand how stem cells are likely to behave. Then we need to test whether the potential treatment has the intended effect on patients with a particular condition and that the treatment is safe.

Remember that your medical specialist is best placed to help you identify where you can access new treatments or how to participate in a legitimate clinical trial.

Where else can I go to find out more?

Hope vs hype and the promise of stem cells

Stem Cells Australia

Watch video

Stem Cell Treatments - Frequently Asked Questions

National Health and Medical Research Council

Download PDF

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