Stem cell therapy is a bright new treatment option that is certainly making waves, especially for those with conditions that previously had no treatment option available to them at all. It can help with certain blood cancers, autoimmune diseases, can help treat issues such as chronic pain, and can even be used for cosmetic purposes.
If you’ve been looking up new or alternative medicinal options for your condition, you might have stumbled upon stem cells as a treatment option. What are stem cells? Simply put, they’re the basis of all of our cells. Stem cells are critical for two main reasons. One, because they can make more cells just like themselves, meaning they are self-renewing. Two, they can also become other cells, from blood cells to nerve cells to even tissue cells.
This means that stem cells may be used to help rejuvenate your cells in a wide variety of conditions. How effective the treatment is for many of its current uses, however, is still under investigation, and while the science is still so new, so too is legislation.
As stem cell therapy is such a new treatment option, you may be wondering, is stem cell therapy legal in the United States? The answer is a bit complicated. Let’s get into it.
Is Stem Cell Treatment Legal in the US?
The short answer to the question is stem cell treatment legal in the US is yes, the food and drug administration has legalized stem cell therapy treatments. This means that you can get it as a treatment at specialized medical clinics in the United States.
The FDA regulates stem cell therapies as a biological product, meaning that they have enacted a series of standards for the stem cells themselves, as well as the treatment method. While there are always risks when it comes to medical treatments, this means that it is not just possible to get stem cell treatment in the United States, but that it is reasonably safe to do so.
FDA Oversight
The FDA regulates every step of the stem cell therapy treatment to ensure patients get a safe product. This means that the cells all the way to the delivery method used must have FDA approval before clinics can use it. There was also a limit on what can be treated, simply because the stock of stem cells was limited, though this is easing.
Why Treatments are Limited by the FDA
Stem cell therapy was more strictly regulated in the past due to the limited amount of stem cells available for treatment, which is why previous answers you’ve seen to the question, is stem cell treatment legal in the US, were likely no. However, thanks to the induced pluripotent stem cell, which refers to the cells taken from skin or blood and have been reprogrammed back into their embryonic-like state, cells are more widely available for treatment.
This is because it allows clinicians to take an adult stem cell and reprogram it back into its embryonic-like version. Since stem cell treatment doesn’t use embryonic stem cells for ethical reasons, this advancement means more people can have access to a more advanced stem cell treatment option than ever before.
Is There a Difference Between Private and Public Clinics?
No, the FDA regulates stem cell treatment across the board. This means that the stem cells you receive in a private clinic, such as Bioxcellerator, as well as in public clinics, are all approved by the FDA. This is because any clinic, private or public, must comply with FDA regulations. If you find a clinic that does not comply with its regulations, then it is operating outside of the law and should be avoided at all costs.
Can I Get Stem Cell Therapy for Any Condition?
Another caveat to the is stem cell treatment legal in the US conversation is that the FDA has only approved its use for specific diseases. This means that, currently, you can receive stem cell treatment for conditions such as blood cancers and potentially have it covered by insurance.
Now, this does not mean that you cannot get stem cell treatments for other conditions, ranging from autoimmune disease to arthritis. It only means that it isn’t FDA approved, meaning that the study results aren’t yet conclusive enough for the government to approve.
Since using stem cells for these other conditions isn’t FDA approved, it cannot be covered by insurance, even big-name options such as Blue Cross Blue Shield. The good news, however, is that you can typically take advantage of a payment plan to cover the stem cell therapy cost instead.
What Can Stem Cell Treatment Do for Me?
What are stem cell injections good for? If you were wondering just how they can help you treat your chronic pain or other ongoing condition, there are a few things you should know. First, stem cells are regenerative medicine products, either made from an adult stem cell or from reprogrammed adult cells so that they are now embryonic stem cells, depending on the clinic and purpose.
Our clinic only works with Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in the jelly-like substance surrounding donated umbilical cords. These are known to best stimulate healing when used as regenerative medicine products.
Only stem cell treatment can offer such a wide variety of effects, including:
- Reduction in inflammation, making it ideal for use with arthritis and chronic pain
- Boosting the immune system to accelerate or promote healing
- Boost healing to help the body regenerate bone, cartilage, or other tissues
Since stem cells can become any type of cell, only stem cell injections can be used in to help such a wide range of conditions. Naturally, how effective the treatment is on your condition depends on what’s ailing you, the severity of the condition, as well as your own lifestyle. That’s why it’s so important to get in touch with the clinic of your choice and have a consultation.
The physicians will be able to provide you a clear overview of the type of results you can hope for after treatment, based on your exact condition. They will also follow up with you after your treatment, in order to gauge how well you’re doing immediately after, and even up to two years after your treatment.
We hope we’ve answered your question regarding is stem cell therapy legal in the United States. Do feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
