Boosting An Unproven Treatment

"It sends a signal to all the fans out there that stem cells have more value than they really do."
"The risk from the stem-cell procedure is that it could give someone a false sense of confidence, and they could go back to play too early [and re-injure themselves]." 
"It’s extremely good PR for the people selling this kind of thing. But there’s no question that this is an unproven treatment."
James Rickert, president, Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics

"There's really not much evidence that it's going to help him [Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals], other than as a psychological boost or as a placebo effect."
Paul Knoepfler, professor of cell biology and human anatomy, David School of Medicine, University of California

Max Scherzer. Image: CBS

"These are the richest, most highly paid athletes around. So anything you can think of, they're getting."
"But I wouldn't use them as a role model for how to treat injuries."
Arthur Caplan, director, Division of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, New York University

"Clinics provide free stem-cell treatments or offer procedures at a discounted rate, and in return they can generate YouTube testimonials, press releases and positive media coverage."
Leigh Turner, associate professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota

Stem-cell therapeutic injections have become the go-to solution for a growing number of super-athletes whose injuries on the playing field threaten to keep them from fulfilling their contracts and disappointing fans through lengthy recovery periods. Leading them to seek out almost instant relief in the belief that unproven stem-cell injections will greatly accelerate recovery. All the while doctors and ethicists admit to concerns that professional athletes are falling into a public relations trap benefiting clinics offering the injections they insist have no practical health value whatever.

Not only do these clinics which are proliferating in numbers and informing potential clients that their injuries are readily and swiftly certain to mend-on-the-quick with stem-cell injections when there is no scientific proof whatever that this is true, but their proffering false hope of quick recovery for the obvious purpose of making a killing -- so to speak -- is on the squeaky edge of malpractise. Platelet injections and stem cells have attracted athletes like Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, Gordie Hower, Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning.

All highly respected top-performing athletes in their field of popular sports, their trust in therapies whose functional success has never been proven goes a long way to convincing the public that these are legitimate strategies for quick injury healing processes. That stem cells are on offer at a thousand clinics and even at some of the most highly respected hospitals lends legitimacy to the enterprise far beyond its perceived value. Cost of treatment ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars for a type of treatment which, unproven, insurance will not cover.

Lots of hype and trust in the efficacy of the process, but proof of usefulness totally absent. The Major League Baseball website reported that Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals had stem-cell injection treatment for a thumb injury. Then went on for additional treatment in response to a mild strain in his upper back and shoulder. According to Mr. Rickert, the diagnosed injury that Mr. Scherzer sought instant treatment for, would have healed itself following ten days of rest without the stem cell injection.

Injections for stem-cell treatments are prepared by withdrawing fat or bone marrow from the individual, which then sees the cells processed and injected back into the joints, tendons or muscles causing problems. The platelets that help blood to clot can be concentrated to be used in another popular sport injury treatment, used in a manner similar to the stem-cell injections. Human psychology is also at play here, where injections can act as powerful placebos alleviating pain, a result of patients placing faith in treatment.

Over 80 percent of patients with knee arthritis perceived a noted improvement in pain following a placebo of simple saltwater shots according to a recent analysis. Ethicist Dr. Caplan wonders: "Would the inflammation or problems have just gone away on its own?", after hearing of athletes speaking of the success of their stem cell treatments. Athletes are known to recover more rapidly from injuries than other people, owing to the fact that they are young and fit to begin with.

Safety Concerns for Unproven Stem Cell Treatments

All medical treatments have benefits and risks. But unproven stem cell therapies can be particularly unsafe.
For instance, attendees at a 2016 FDA public workshop discussed several cases of severe adverse events. One patient became blind due to an injection of stem cells into the eye. Another patient received a spinal cord injection that caused the growth of a spinal tumor.
Other potential safety concerns for unproven treatments include:

• Administration site reactions,
• The ability of cells to move from placement sites and change into inappropriate cell types or multiply,
• Failure of cells to work as expected, and
• The growth of tumors.

Note: Even if stem cells are your own cells, there are still safety risks such as those noted above. In addition, if cells are manipulated after removal, there is a risk of contamination of the cells.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration