Policy concern about patients travelling in search of unproven stem cell based interventions (SCBIs) – a practice known as “stem cell tourism” – has grown in recent years. These concerns are driven by the lack of convincing evidence of the safety or efficacy of these interventions and the resulting worry that individuals pursuing these unproven treatments may be putting themselves unnecessarily at risk and, perhaps, hindering legitimate translational stem cell research. This article reviews existing literature on stem cell tourism, focusing in particular on what is known about the providers of unproven SCBIs, the patients who pursue these interventions, and the outcomes of such interventions. The article concludes by highlighting gaps in the existing literature base and suggesting questions for future investigation.
