Tourism: Costa Rica Clinic Hopes for Quadriplegic |
Stem cell tourism for therapies not approved in the US |
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Editors published 2/10/2009 10:00:00 AM
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Thousands of people travel to clinics around the world, from China to Mexico to Ukraine, in the hope of being cured for Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, nerve damage and more.
A quadriplegic from Arlington, Texas spent $20,000 on stem cell injections at the Institute for Cellular Medicine in San Jose, Costa Rica in an effort to walk again.
Jessica Grimm, 26, had been a quadriplegic since she was 14, but had some mobility in her legs and hand. Dr. Fabio Solano injected her with adult stem cells - presumably nerve cells derived from bone marrow.
Dr. Fabio Solano, who is medical director of the stem cell institute in Costa Rica, dismissed the criticism and said opponents "are generally speaking out of ignorance."
Solano said he warns patients of potential risks and accepts only those who stand to benefit from his treatments.
"I do not make any promises of results to patients," he said in an e-mailed statement.
Solano treats patients with stem cells derived from umbilical cords or with cells harvested from their own bone marrow or fat, he said.
He cited several examples of successful cases and insisted that his treatments are similar to natural processes in the body.
"Your dog and your horse can get treated with fat stem cells in the U.S., but not your brother," Solano wrote. "If a critic asks me 'How can I do this?’ my answer is, 'How can I not?’ "
It’s unclear how many people are traveling abroad for stem cell therapy or even how many clinics offer the treatments. But one biotech company, which boasts 24 hospitals in China, claims to have treated more than 3,000 patients at its facilities alone.
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