Stem Cell Hype and the Dangers of Stem Cell “Tourism ” Stem Cell Hype and the Dangers of Stem Cell “Tourism”

Significant scientific discoveries and innovations quite naturally lead to great enthusiasm about the benefits that may flow from them. One danger, however, is that enthusiasm may lead to hype, defined as exaggerated publicity or extravagant claims. Hype can lead to unrealistic expectations of both the benefits that will flow to the public and how quickly they will be achieved. A problem with excessive hype is that it may mask the fact that a therapy is still in experimental or research phases, which makes it difficult to properly communicate the risks of clinical trials. For example, gene therapy was the subject of hype: it was claimed that researchers would find cures for all kinds of diseases with a genetic origin. Genetic diseases, however, turned out to be much more complex than first imagined, and therapies were few an