Regenerative Medicine: Highlighting and Correcting Misinformation

Advances in biomedical research are often hailed for their potential in treating a variety of human conditions, but many of the exciting discoveries in regenerative medicine are still far from delivering much-anticipated medical therapies. Today, interventions using stem cells — a key component in many regenerative processes — have only proven to be effective in a very limited set of cases.

Still, stem cells have been widely marketed to the public for their regenerative properties and their promise for revolutionizing medicine, often with claims that far exceed the interventions’ known benefits. Such procedures are largely ineffective, at best; in the worst cases, patients exposed to interventions employing dubious methodology and lacking oversight have faced severe health complications.

At this event, Zubin Master, Baker Institute nonresident scholar and associate professor of biomedical ethics at Mayo Clinic, and Emily Vraga, the Don and Carole Larson Professor in Health Communication at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the clinical and promotional landscape of stem cell-based interventions. The panelists will share studies on misinformation perpetuated by less reputable providers, ways of correcting misinformation, and resources and multi-sectoral policy approaches to help lead patients to more informed decision-making. Dr. Emerson Perin, medical director and director of the Center for Clinical Research and the Stem Cell Center at Texas Heart Institute, will moderate, with welcome remarks from science and technology policy fellow Kirstin R.W. Matthews.

This event is part of an annual policy lecture series co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences and the Texas Heart Institute, with support from the George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation.

This event is free, but registration is required. Click below to attend this event either in person or virtually via Zoom.