WIKIMEDIA, 8THSTARA Los Angeles woman who opted for an face-lift procedure involving adult stem cells ended up with fragments of bone embedded around her right eye, which made strange clicking noises and caused considerable pain. Reported this week in Scientific American, the case highlights the dangers of the untested stem cell-based cosmetic procedures that are becoming increasingly common in clinics around the United States.

The woman underwent the $20,000 surgery at a clinic in Beverley Hills in 2009. Surgeons isolated mesenchymal stem cells from her abdominal fat—cells that can become bone, cartilage, and fat, among other types of tissue—before injecting them into the skin around her eyes. The plan was that the stem cells would rejuvenate the skin by transforming into new skin tissue and releasing chemicals that stimulate other skin cells to proliferate.

But the surgeons also injected dermal filler, commonly used to reduce wrinkles. These fillers...

More and more clinics are now offering untested stem cell treatments for a range of cosmetic and medical procedures, and the overstretched US Food and Drug Administration is struggling to clamp down on all of them. Unapproved therapies are dangerous for consumers, and they could also make it more difficult for legitimate stem cell researchers to get funding as unscrupulous private clinics stigmatize the field.  

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!