The Stem Cell Hard Sell: Report from a Clinic's Patient Recruitment Seminar

The growing direct‐to‐consumer, stem cell clinic industry in the U.S. uses a number of strategies for patient recruitment, including self‐styled educational seminars, which may reach thousands of members of the public annually. Here I report on a first‐hand experience at such a seminar that I recently attended. Numerous specific medical claims were made at the seminar: no potential for rejection; no side effects, including no pain; proven efficacy for a variety of conditions, including in particular arthritis and pain; and U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. I discuss the potential impact of these kinds of seminars on the public and on the stem cell field. S tem C ells T ranslational M edicine 2017;6:14–16