Black-market stem-cell clinic raided

An underground Hungarian stem-cell clinic offering unspecified "therapies" to desperate members of the public has been the subject of a police raid. Reportedly, some 100 "stem cell tourists" have visited the clinic, paying "as much as $25,000 per person."

Stem cell therapy is promising, but there are major hurdles to overcome, not least the risk of the cells causing cancer.

"There's no proven benefit of any of the treatments on offer at commercial clinics, and there's risks of infection, not getting the stem cells at all, or them growing into something you don't want," says Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who runs the Quackwatch website. "So to go for treatment is a very foolish thing to do."

'Guerrilla' stem cell clinic raided by police

[#1 posted by Slizzered, August 3, 2009 2:56 PM]

This looks more or less like an instance of science fiction writing itself.

[#2 posted by morganj, August 3, 2009 3:35 PM]

Going for treatment being very foolish is pretty dependent on what you're going for. I suspect most of the people taking advantage of this sort of scenario are being exploited precisely because their situation is pretty hopeless otherwise. Which makes them easy pickings - but on the other hand, also means that a 1 in 100 chance may be better than none.

[#3 posted by Brainspore, August 3, 2009 3:41 PM]

This is like letting a random guy stab you in the hopes that the knife will excise a tumor. You might get lucky, but you'll more likely end up worse off than before.

[#4 posted by Halloween Jack, August 3, 2009 6:35 PM]

Whatever promise stem cell research holds now or in the future, this sounds an awful lot like goat gland therapy.

[#5 posted by Enormo, August 4, 2009 5:13 AM]

When you're facing certain death a little slick marketing and a dash hope can overide good sense.