A group of top scientists in Britain have warned patients to be wary of "extravagant" claims made for "unorthodox" stem cell treatments offered abroad and that some stem cell treatments could be killers.
In a letter to The Times newspaper, the experts while lauding the UK for establishing itself as a world leader in such research, say some foreign therapies, in particular those offered for multiple sclerosis and cosmetic skin treatment, were unproven, not subjected to independent review and could be dangerous.
In Britain, a handful of treatments have been licensed, principally for treating leukaemia and eye and skin disorders, and the group say that while they welcome efforts to translate research findings as quickly as possible into clinical benefits, it should only be done in the context of rigorous scientific scrutiny.
The letter has been signed by 14 medical charities and research funders, including Professor Colin Blakemore, chairman of the UK Stem Cell Funders Forum, Lord Patel, chairman of the steering committee for the UK Stem Cell Bank, and Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society.
It says among other things that with regard to unorthodox stem-cell treatments, the protocols and results have not been published or subject to independent review, and there is no published evidence to support claims that stem cells can safely repair tissue damage caused by multiple sclerosis.
They say there is in fact concern that these unproven treatments could be dangerous, potentially exposing patients to the risk of uncontrolled and inappropriate tissue generation.