FDA Begins Crackdown of Stem Cell Clinics

A crackdown on stem cell clinics has been launched by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA have been searching offices in California. Also, they warned others across the country that were suspected of peddling "dangerous" and "unproven" products to those with cancer and other illnesses. "Unscrupulous clinics" were blasted by Scott Gottlieb, M.D., the FDA commissioner, for taking advantage of vulnerable patients by claiming cures for diseases without proof. FDA inspectors found doses of live smallpox vaccine, which were seized by U.S. Marshals in August, at Stemimmune Inc. in San Diego, California. Stem cell treatment centers used the vaccine for stem cell-based cancer therapies. Some experts question the effectiveness of stem cell therapy. But, stem cell therapy advocates insist the clinics' procedure uses the body's natural factors to potentially develop healthy new cells.