Buyer Beware!
A friend of mine recently called and told me about a new treatment he just heard of on a podcast. Per the podcast, one injection will cure joint ailments and allow the body to cure itself without any surgery. I thought to myself, “Interesting. Medicine is a cutting-edge field. There are new discoveries all the time.” So of course, I asked him what was this amazing injection? He responded with “Stem cells.” Ok. Pause. Here’s what I know about stem cells from my medical traistem cellsning. They come from humans.
What Are Stem Cells?
The are an undifferentiated cell that can turn into any kind of cell, including cancer cells, depending on the signaling it receives. There is a lot of potential of its use in cancer therapies. I have never heard of it in joint injections.
This led me down the road of many questions. How are donors screened? There is a potential for HIV, Hepatitis, and other infectious disease with anything that comes from human donors. What kind of stem cells exactly: fat cell derived vs cord blood derived vs bone marrow derived? Is it actual stem cells or something else being injected into the joints? If it is stem cells, what is stopping these undifferentiated cells from turning into a cancer cell? How long do the cells last? Normal cells have a life cycle and die after a while. What is that time frame for these cells? What are the long-term effects of a stem cell injection? What are the adverse effects? Are there any long-term consequences? Given my lack of knowledge in the topic, I did a brief literature search to answer my questions.
Are Stem Cell Injections Proven for Joint Pain?
I found several articles, and each had very similar conclusions. (Only cited a couple since they had similar conclusions.) There is an abundance of papers looking into the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine in animal models,1 but there are no large, high-quality human studies. When it comes to injecting stem cells into various joints for the treatment of osteoarthritis, some human studies have been done and demonstrate a trend towards decrease joint pain but the methodology of the studies are inconsistent and none of the studies are considered “high quality research.” Additionally, the results of the studies are inconsistent, and we don’t really know what happens longterm.2,3 Bottom line: tons of potential and very promising. Probably reduces joint pain short term.
What Are the Risks and Unknowns?
Long term benefits and adverse effects are unknown. Will an injection help your joint pain? Probably. How long will it last? No idea. Can you get cancer from it in 30 years? No idea.
Out of continued curiosity, I investigated the cost of buying a vial of stem cells as a physician and found that vials are around $1000. Knowing all of that, I find it interesting that my friend was told all the benefits, was quoted $4500 for an injection but this week only there’s a sale he can benefit from, and then was told a physician will call him back to answer all the questions I told him to ask. But here’s the thing, I was able to prepare my friend going into his consultation. He knew what question to ask because I told him. He was also primed to be a bit skeptical about everything he would be told. In the end, he decided this is not for him, and THIS is why I was prompted to write this piece. Buyer Beware! Not everyone has a medical professional who can prepare them how to approach these situations.
Anti-aging, regenerative medicine, and longevity medicine is a multibillion-dollar industry.4 We don’t want to get old and we don’t like pain. Insurance doesn’t cover the cost of many of these treatments because they are elective. As a result, we shell out thousands of dollars to look and feel like we are in our twenties again. If we are in our twenties, we shell out the cash to prevent or slow down the process. This means the industry is fraught with the modern-day snake oil salesman. There are a variety of creams, treatments, emollients, and intravenous supplements on the market that may or may not work and we are willing to spend our money on it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying stem cell therapy is a snake oil. I am saying the therapy is extremely expensive and we are willing to pay $4500 per treatment in the absence of strong evidence that it works and is safe. So what can you do?
What Questions Should You Ask Before Treatment?
Beware. If something is thousands and thousands of dollars, do some research on your own. While I presented actual research studies that I can access as a physician, there was plenty of grey literature (nonresearched articles) reporting the same thing I presented above. Also make sure to see who is writing the article. If the author works for the company that is selling the product, be skeptical of the information. If the “research” was paid for by the company that is selling the product, be skeptical. And ask questions, lots of questions about the studies and evidence that supports the treatment. Make sure there is an opportunity to speak with a doctor as well. I offer anti-aging therapies and make sure every patient has every opportunity to ask me their questions. I am open and honest with them. Sometimes, the literature is scant, and I share that with them, so they have the opportunity to decide if it is still something they want to do. You should have those same opportunities.
References
1. Rajabzadeh N, Fathi E, Farahzadi R. Stem cell-based regenerative medicine. Stem cell investigation. 2019;6
2. Jevotovsky D, Alfonso A, Einhorn T, Chiu E. Osteoarthritis and stem cell therapy in humans: a systematic review. Osteoarthritis and cartilage. 2018;26(6):711-729.
3. Zhu C, Wu W, Qu X. Mesenchymal stem cells in osteoarthritis therapy: a review. American journal of translational research. 2021;13(2):448.
4. Weintraub A. Selling the fountain of youth: How the anti-aging industry made a disease out of getting old-and made billions. Basic books; 2010.