Lure of the stem 'sell'

5 May 2010

Social scientists from the School of Political and Social Inquiry have launched an Australian-first study into the emerging global phenomenon of stem-cell tourism.

The study aims to identify what influences patients to travel overseas to pursue stem-cell treatments not currently available in Australia due to their experimental or unproven status.

The study will document their treatment journey and its aftermath, as well as attempt to characterise the factors that influenced their decision.

Research team leader Professor Alan Petersen said the research would improve the information available to patients and assist policy makers and clinical providers to develop guidelines for medical tourism.

"Stem-cell science has been widely touted as a field of revolutionary possibilities ranging from treating currently incurable diseases to restoring function to individuals with disabilities," Professor Petersen said.

"Stem-cell treatments available in Australia are currently limited to support for patients with haematological malignancies, immune deficiencies and more recently tissue engineered products such as skin grafts or bone repair.

"Overseas clinics and companies have begun to capitalise on the promise of the field and market a range of stem-cell treatments direct to consumers with little, if any, medically-recognised evidence.

"With the rise of direct-to-consumer marketing via the internet, patients are often left largely on their own to decide whether to pursue advertised treatments."

Co-investigator Dr Kate Seear said anecdotal reports suggested that thousands of Australians travel overseas each year for stem-cell treatment.

"This project will be one of the first studies in the world to qualitatively examine the experiences of people who have received these controversial new treatments," Dr Seear said.

"The research is also important because Australia, like many other countries around the world, is investing heavily in stem-cell research.

"There is a possibility that adverse publicity associated with stem-cell tourism could have implications for public perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with stem-cell science."

The research is funded by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

For more information contact Dr Seear at Kate.Seear@arts.monash.edu.au or on +61 3 9905 4292.