A recent study was presented on Wednesday by scientists at the University of Alberta in Canada. They stated that many clinics offer stem cell treatments to costumers even though, at the moment, there is no solid proof to confirm such claims.

 Although the scientists say that the study didn’t rely on researches made on specific clinics, the feedback from the scientific world was immediate. “I think these Web sites are dangerous.

…They overpromise effectiveness and safety of the therapy and they completely underestimate and underinform about risks. ... Such overhyped marketing directly to the patient is putting patients at risk of financial exploitation at the very least, and physical danger at the worst," said Dr. George Daley, former president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

More and more patients are willing to do these kinds of treatments, as a last resort, even though they are aware of the cost and the not proved effectiveness of them.

"The average cost of a course of therapy among the four websites that mentioned costs was $21,500, excluding travel and accommodation for patients and care givers," Timothy Caulfield and of The University of Alberta and colleagues stated in the report.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research released strict guidelines to researches concerning stem cell treatments and they even published a patient’s guidebook which recommends them to be skeptical when they consider these kinds of offers.

"Stem cell therapies are nearly all new and experimental. In these early stages, they may not work, and there may be downsides. Make sure you understand what to look out for before considering a stem cell therapy," the guidebook states.