![]() ![]() For this reason, I would like to emphasize that in using the term ‘stem cell(s)’ in the present article, I am referring to claims made by the advertisers of such products, and that the true identity of the material in question is unverified, and should be treated as such.Īlternative medical uses of the stem cell concept (meaning those that have not been subjected to rigorous testing for safety and efficacy) can be categorized roughly into one of four varieties: putative therapeutic uses of human ‘stem cells’ ‘fresh’ or ‘live’ cell treatments using lyophilized animal cells nutritional supplements that purport to enhance endogenous stem cell function, or to contain stem cell extracts and cosmetic products claiming either to contain or act on stem cells. It is important to note that in the great majority of instances, it is impossible to determine whether the substances that are being used in these alternative treatments are composed entirely of, or even contain, bona fide stem cells, and that in a great many cases, such as alleged applications of injected human embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells (which would be associated with a significant risk of tumor formation), they clearly do not. The marketing of these nostrums relies on claims that such products use, mimic, activate or enhance stem cell functions for medicinal, cosmetic, anti-aging or other quality-of-life purposes. I will argue that untested and under-regulated uses of ‘stem cells’ represent a new and increasingly popular class of alternative medicine products. Given the diverse nature of the approaches categorized as alternative medicine, it has proven difficult to develop reliable figures on usage and market size, but it has been estimated that between 30 and 50% of all Americans use at least one alternative or complementary treatment, giving a total market size of over US$40 billion. These approaches are distinguished from evidence-based medicine in that either their therapeutic claims for a wide range of conditions have been tested and found to be no more effective than placebo, or they have not been subject to any rigorous studies of safety and efficacy. The areas of wellness, cosmetics, esthetics and quality of life, which are typically subject to less rigorous testing and regulation than medical products, fall into the same spectrum of poor evidentiary support, and have here been classed together with alternative medicines to illustrate the diversity of untested claims surrounding the use of stem cells, and in recognition of the wide range of assertions made by many such practices that range from therapeutic applications to poorly defined improvements in wellbeing, appearance and vitality.Īlternative medicine, and the related realms of complementary, holistic and integrative medicine, encompass a wide range of approaches to healthcare, including practices adapted from Chinese, Indian, Native American, and European folk medicine, homeopathy, chiropractic medicine, naturopathy, aromatherapy, crystal therapy, herbal supplements, nutrient megadoses, biofeedback, electric and magnetic therapies, and faith healing. ![]() For the purposes of this article, I define ‘alternative medicine’ as any purportedly therapeutic approach that is not validated by, or which does not seek to attain, rigorous scientific evidence for its claims prior to offering them commercially. There is only scientifically proven, evidence-based medicine supported by solid data or unproven medicine, for which scientific evidence is lacking”. Indeed, in an influential editorial, the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine based their own definition on evidentiary standards, calling alternative medicine the set of healthcare practices that has “not been scientifically tested and advocates largely deny the need for such testing”, which was echoed in a statement by the editors of the Journal of the American Medical Association, which went so far as to repudiate the distinction: “There is no alternative medicine. ![]() An equally important defining characteristic, however, and one that I will use in this article, is reliance on speculation, anecdote and appeals to authority, rather than evidence from rigorously designed scientific experiments to support claims. Alternative medicine is broadly defined as the set of healthcare practices that falls outside of the mainstream of established medical practice in a given country or culture.
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