The FDA Outrageously Claims That Stem Cells Are a "Drug"

By Dr. Mercola

Adult stem cells (as opposed to embryonic stem cells, which are at the heart of the stem cell controversy) are a truly exciting part of the future of medicine, with seemingly limitless potential for anti-aging, arthritis and far more...

But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is attempting to regulate stem cell procedures at a Colorado clinic, stating that stem cells are drugs that fall under FDA jurisdiction.

Outrageously, the FDA is making this claim even though the stem cells being used in the procedure come from the patient's own body, which means they are essentially claiming that they can regulate a part of your body.

What makes stem cells so special is their potential to develop into many different cell types.

When a stem cell divides, it either becomes another type of cell, such as a muscle cell or cartilage, or it remains a stem cell.

Furthermore, these cells act as an internal repair system in many types of tissues, dividing a seemingly indefinite number of times to replenish other cells.

As you age, your stem cells diminish in quality and quantity, so just when you require strong stem cells the most, you're becoming increasingly deficient. Hence your organs and tissues eventually wear out and need to be restored or replaced.

The procedure in question by the FDA is known as Regenexx-C. It involves taking a sample of your blood and bone marrow, and using a centrifuge machine to separate out the stem cells. The cells are then cultured to create more cells before they are injected back into your body to help with tissue repair. It is the fact that the cells are cultured that the FDA has attacked, saying this makes them "unregulated drugs."

As a result the clinic now only offers the procedure outside of the United States, whereas within U.S. borders they use a similar procedure that is done in one day and does not involve culturing. This, reportedly, is less effective because fewer stem cells are delivered to the injury site. As for the promise of stem cell treatments in treating osteoarthritis pain, the positive results appear to be significant, including:

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The FDA Outrageously Claims That Stem Cells Are a "Drug"