title: Responsibilities of Health Care Professionals in Counseling and Educating Patients With Incurable Neurological Diseases Regarding "Stem Cell Tourism": Caveat Emptor.
abstract: "Stem cell tourism" is a rising Internet-based industry that aims to offer unproven procedures to patients with incurable diseases. This unregulated activity is reaching the neurologist's office as well as across the world, as patients request information or clearance for such procedures. Herein, we posit the need for medical societies and licensing boards to bring this issue to the forefront of neurology because it has the potential to affect patient care with risk of morbidity and mortality, as well as to undermine public confidence in legitimate stem cell research for incurable neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
authors: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus.
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Bowman
authors: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Racke
authors: Department of Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus3Department of Neurology, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus4Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medi.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Kissel
authors: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus5Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus.
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Imitola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000628:therapy*; D003376:Counseling / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000941:ethics*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000628:therapy*; D009462:Neurology / Q000941:ethics*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000941:ethics*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D013234:Stem Cells