Comments on: More China Stem Cell Quackery

By: Science-Based Medicine » Quack Clinics

Science-Based Medicine » Quack Clinics — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:37:43 +0000

[...] is also the recently reported case of the mother who was convinced that her blind child could see after getting stem cell therapy in [...]

By: KPMonroe100

KPMonroe100 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:55:57 +0000

All these comments sound reasonable. But what about the stories? Has anyone followed up on the stories, to see if any improvements were permanent?

By: David Weisman

David Weisman — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:45:27 +0000

1. Sadly one doesn’t expect anyone to be so immoral as to take advantage of truly sick people with quackery and sexed up degrees. Yet there they are.
2. What are your thoughts about poorly studied but often offered endovascular therapies for acute stroke and intracraial stenosis? Interventionalists are not waiting for data, but seem to be highly aggressive. One can view this with a similar economic framework as well.
3. For pure horror, go to the site patientslikeme. They have an ALS site in which many take questionable therapies like stem cells. Doubly tragic.

By: sarah

sarah — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:46:32 +0000

Thanks for sharing this blog post. I help manage an online support community for people affected with Ataxia. If you have come across this site in search of support and kind words from others like you, stop by and say hello: http://www.livingwithataxia.org

By: nal

nal — Wed, 06 May 2009 01:20:51 +0000

Saw something about a blind girl on the Austin news who has Septo Optic Dysplasia. She's going to use Beike Biotech if the family can get the money. It's an expensive way for parents to feel like they're doing something to help their child. The Procedure

By: asonginthisworld

asonginthisworld — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:34:51 +0000

I have been extremely skeptical about the stem cell trials in China because of the lack of data and transparency. I use many therapies on my daughter that while not empirically proven and in some cases without strong clinical evidence there is still strong anecdotal evidence as well as lots of information past from parents. China is the wild west when it comes to doing business. Caveat Emptor certainly applies when dealing with China and we have witnessed how unsafe their food and toys have been to our population. Thanks for creating this blog!

By: daedalus2u

daedalus2u — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:22:26 +0000

One of the side effects that is talked about, a mild fever, is typical of an immune system activation, exactly what would be expected if a foreign material were injected and attacked by the immune system.

”The most common and frequent issue is a slight histamine response within the body which can elevate the patient’s temperature.”

If the stem cells were migrating to where they are supposed to, and taking up residence and differentiating into the precise type of cell they are supposed to be replacing, why would there be a histamine reaction and a fever? Those are signs of an immune system reaction, not normal differentiation and growth.

Nerve cells can’t grow back in a few days. It is simply not possible. Particularly for something like motor neurons which are very long. They only grow out from the cell body, and then only very slowly. Any prompt positive effect can only be due to the placebo effect, or due to non-specific effects from the immune system stimulation.

By: Steven Novella

Steven Novella — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:37:54 +0000

Yes – I did not cover risk in this post but did in the first one. It seems that Dr. Huang’s protocol is even worse – opening up the spinal cord to place the stem cells, resulting at times in infection and other complications. But even Dr. Hu’s protocol is not risk free – rejection and tumors being just two concerns.

These treatments may not only be worthless, they may be harmful. And even if you think they work, it is a crime not to study it properly to find out.

By: Enzo

Enzo — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:45:47 +0000

Wow. As far as I can tell from reading the Beike group’s website, the treatment is nothing short of injecting these “stem cells” intravenously or straight up into the CSF…Presumably via injection into the spine. They are also pumping their patients with NGF. Seems to me that this is way beyond simple sugar pill medicine. This may have a risk.

I can’t imagine foreign stem cells are tolerated by the immune system and am actually shocked that they are shooting these things into CSF. Is the rejection of the cells harmless or is it actually a big risk? This seems nuts.

Quote:

Important: the stem cells can be injected in two ways.
- Direct injection into the spinal fluid
- IV (intravenous) in your hand.

End quote.

Also, I’m not sure what kind of protocols are in place to maintain the “stemness” of the cells prior to transplant/injection. Odds are they are injecting cells that have lost their ability to become other cell types, let alone with the specificity required for his claims to be validated.

This is why science can be so stigmatized. I can’t stand things like this. Some people believe the cure for cancer is being suppressed by big pharma and other people believe that people like Dr. Huang can work medical miracles years ahead of their time. Sigh. We need to do a better job informing people.

By: Dean

Dean — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:02:48 +0000

Thanks so much for exposing these quacks, Steve. Despite my very skeptical nature, I was actually tempted by some of these places spouting miracle tales. My son was slowly dying from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, so I was desperate to do anything that might give him more time. Instead, I ended up listening to the neurologist, trusting the real science, and spending that precious time enjoying my beautiful little boy and giving him as much of life as I could. I’m so glad I didn’t get sucked in by these bastards when I was so vulnerable. I feel for those who do. It’s the cruelest kind of quackery.

On a lighter note, I hope to meet you in Australia if/when you make it over here!