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AUSTIN, Tex. — The Texas Medical Board on Friday approved controversial new rules on the use of adult stem cells, raising concerns that Texans could receive therapies that have not yet been proven to work and that could be unsafe.
The new rules allow doctors to perform stem cell procedures as long as they are done for research and receive approval from an institutional review board, which can be private and profit-making. The rules also require that patients sign informed consent forms.
The approval process, which took months, was set off by Gov. Rick Perry, who reported relief from back pain after being injected with his own stem cells last summer before he began his presidential bid. Mr. Perry directed his staff to help push through the legislation on which the new rules are based.
Researchers said the evidence of success of stem cell injections is anecdotal, and they advocate waiting for clinical trial results before allowing doctors to charge patients for the procedures, which typically cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“I think there are some real problems with...
The new rules allow doctors to perform stem cell procedures as long as they are done for research and receive approval from an institutional review board, which can be private and profit-making. The rules also require that patients sign informed consent forms.
The approval process, which took months, was set off by Gov. Rick Perry, who reported relief from back pain after being injected with his own stem cells last summer before he began his presidential bid. Mr. Perry directed his staff to help push through the legislation on which the new rules are based.
Researchers said the evidence of success of stem cell injections is anecdotal, and they advocate waiting for clinical trial results before allowing doctors to charge patients for the procedures, which typically cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“I think there are some real problems with...