UC Irvine

This study is a semi-quantitative analysis of stem cell therapy claims made by private, direct-to-consumer stem cell businesses during their presentation talks to potential consumers. Methods for data collection consisted of one live attendance of one seminar, independent audio and visual attendance of two recorded video webinars and four recorded seminars, and one video recording that was not titled as a “seminar” or “webinar” but was identified as a camera recorded talk by a clinic member to an audience and posted on the internet for further reach to potential patients. We found that the portrayal of stem cell therapies in this “early market” by direct-to-consumer stem cell clinics is too optimistic as they offer advertised therapies that are not supported by clinical evidence or substantiated by peer reviewed literature.