Professional athletes are doing it. So are people with arthritis and Alzheimer’s. In fact, anyone who wants to skip knee surgery and is willing to shell out at least $15,000 is doing it. A specialized stem cell replacement called the “Soup” combines human cells harvested from a patient’s own fat to repair inflammatory and degenerative injuries that might otherwise require invasive surgery. Stem cell therapy allows the body part—in this case knees, hips, elbows, necks and more—to heal itself through a process of regeneration.
“Traditional medicine and traditional drugs do not work for a lot of patients,” said Steven Victor, founder and chairman of the Soup’s manufacturer, IntelliCell BioSciences. This kind of cellular therapy can really be a savior to them.”
In 2012, however, the FDA issued a warning to IntelliCell saying the Soup should be considered a new drug, which requires long and expensive clinical trials to determine if it’s safe and effective. Victor insists that unlike other cellular therapy clinics, his lab follows the law because it’s registered with the FDA.
Legalities and established science haven’t slowed the popularity of stem cell clinics. In the U.S. they’ve quadrupled in the last five years and now number nearly 200.
This article is a part of the Transformation Issue – December 2015/January 2016 issue of Whole Life Times.