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Feb 21, 2017, 12:02pm PST

David Russo Guest columnist

David Russo Guest columnist

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Dr. David Russo is a physiatrist and pain management specialist at Columbia Pain more

Patients in Oregon seeking accurate information about stem cell therapy have few reliable sources to guide them. It can be hard to separate scientific facts from science fiction.

Query Dr. Google and youll find a slew of clinics and a broad range of practitioners proffering miracle cures for everything from asthma to wrinkles. On the Internet, it seems that everything is curable for the right price.

Dr. David Russo is a physiatrist and pain management specialist at Columbia Pain more

And stem cell science does offer the tremendous promise to help us understand and treat a range of diseases, injuries and other health-related conditions. For example, one long-established use of blood stem cells is to treat diseases of the blood and regrow bone marrow after certain kinds of cancer treatment.

To submit a guest column on a health care-related topic, please contact Elizabeth Hayes at ehayes@bizjournals.com

Another application can be seen in the use of stem cells for tissue grafts to treat diseases or injury to the bone, cartilage, tendon, skin, and even the surface of the eye. In fact, several clinical trials involving stem cells are underway for many other conditions, and researchers continue to explore new avenues for using stem cells in medicine.

Nonetheless, some practitioners rush results from this developing science into their exam rooms. Hearings conducted last year by FDA on the use of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) considered very narrow circumstances for using these products. Final guidance is pending, but the legitimate medical use of HCT/Ps depends upon meeting specific criteria to muster regulatory approval.

To wit, the use of adipose (fat) derived HCT/Ps for almost any purpose except cushioning or supporting other tissue could be tantamount to the illegal manufacturing of a drug and commission of a federal crime. Outside of exceptions related to scientific research, growing or modifying the function of HCT/Ps requires regulatory approval and a license from FDA before being used in humans.

Still, some unscrupulous doctors and clinics choose to thumb their nose at guidance and use HCT/Ps in unconventional ways that may place patients in harms way. Often these doctors and clinics fool patients into thinking they are involved in legitimate scientific studies or are otherwise exempt from federal law.

While I know enough not to be fooled by technical gobbledy-gook and sly legal double-speak, the average patient or physician does not. Notwithstanding certain kinds of autologous (taken from and replaced into the same patient) tissue products have well-established and evolving uses in medical practice, patients should still be wary of outlandish claims and promises.

In other words, autologous blood products, platelets, bone marrow and other tissue grafts may be useful and even medically necessary in some circumstances for optimal wound care, injury repair, or tissue healing. They could even spare patients the need for more invasive treatments. This is powerful technology in the armamentarium of a comprehensively trained physician.

However, practitioners and other parties who do not fully understand the science and current limitations may misuse these HCT/Ps or simply extort them for profit.

Oregons policymakers and licensing boards should partition qualified professionals using legitimate HCT/Ps away from the dubious purveyors of miracle cures who prey on vulnerable, chronically ill or seriously injured patients.

While this might be easier said than done, I suggest starting from first principles nearly everyone can agree on: Primum non nocere. First do no harm.

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More here:

Opinion: Oregon patients should beware of stem cell therapy fraud - Portland Business Journal