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X-ray image of a pair of lungs

Image by National Cancer Institute from Unsplash

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa jury recently found the now-defunct Lung Institute in Tampa guilty of engaging in “deceptive or unfair practices” while it offered customers “valueless” stem cell therapy to treat incurable lung disease.

Industry insiders call the unanimous verdict, which was handed down earlier this month in Tampa, a landmark case in the fight to end misleading, unregulated and potentially risky stem cell therapy.

“I’m very happy because I do hope that nobody else is swindled the way I was,” said 85-year-old Marilyn Mazza in response to the verdict.

Ten years ago Mazza, who suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD, spent nearly $20,000 on stem cell treatments at the Institute after hearing an advertisement about it on television. Mazza is one of three named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, which was originally filed against the company back in 2016.

“They promised that I would be off oxygen after I did their procedures, and I am definitely not off oxygen. I'm on four liters now [per minute],” explained Mazza...