A WOMAN who grew bone fragments in her eyelid after undergoing cosmetic surgery using stem cells should serve as a warning to Australians considering unproven stem cell treatments, an expert says.
The US woman underwent more than six hours of surgery to remove the fragments from her eyelid and around the eye, three months after the cosmetic surgery procedure at a Beverly Hills clinic.
The initial procedure, outlined in the December edition of Scientific American, used stem cells extracted from her own abdominal fat through liposuction and injected those cells back into her face.
The $20,000 facelift also incorporated a dermal filler containing calcium, which surgeons believe reacted with the stem cells and turned them into bone.
Cosmetic and regenerative surgery claiming to use stem cells extracted from liposuction is also available in Australia.
While it is not illegal, the only scientifically proven medical treatment using stem cells worldwide is bone marrow transplants for diseases including leukaemia, which have been around for about 40 years.
Associate Professor Megan Munsie from Stem Cells Australia at the University of Melbourne said the report showed a cautious approach was needed when developing new stem cell therapies.
"There is no doubt that stem cells have an incredible capacity to act as the body's repair kit," Assoc Prof Munsie told AAP.
"But they need to be given the right instructions otherwise, as happened to this women, they can turn into the wrong type of cells.
"I'm concerned that potential patients might think that because the treatment involves using their own stem cells, there is no risk.
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Stem cell facelift caused bone growth