Cell therapy is no longer here

Costa Rica bans stem cell treatmentElvira Koshkina, Compulenta
The authorities of Costa Rica ordered the closure of the country's largest clinic, whose patients were treated with stem cells.

Officials believe that the effectiveness of stem therapy has not yet been proven, and therefore...

At the Institute of Cellular Medicine in San Jose, about 400 patients, mostly foreigners - residents of the United States, were treated for multiple sclerosis, arthritis, spinal cord injuries and other diseases. The course cost 5-30 thousand dollars.

The treatment involved the removal of stem cells from the fatty tissues and bone marrow of the patients themselves and their introduction into the diseased organs. Stem cells extracted from donated umbilical cord blood were also used for therapy. The clinic, owned by Arizona entrepreneur Neil Riordan, had permission to store stem cells, but was not authorized to conduct stem therapy.

Mr. Riordan also owns a clinic in Panama engaged in similar activities, and the company Aidan Products, which sells, among other things, nutritional supplements that allegedly stimulate the production of blood stem cells in the body.

Costa Rica's health minister, Maria Luisa Avila, said in a telephone interview with Reuters that "such treatment is not allowed in any serious country in the world." The Institute will close on Friday, June 4. Representatives of the clinic refuse to comment.

Stem cell treatment is now also offered by hospitals in China, Thailand and Mexico. However, the Costa Rican clinic was particularly popular due to the stable situation in the country, modern tourist infrastructure and proximity to the United States.

Prepared by Reuters: Costa Rica shuts stem cell clinic.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru04.06.2010