Stamina therapies: time to call a halt

摘要

Mauro Ferrari, the nominated chair of a committee set up to evaluate the controversial stem-cell therapy used by Italy's Stamina Foundation, participated last month in a popular television programme, Le Iene. Irrespective of the ambiguity of some of his comments, as explained in a Correction to your report, we believe that he should have declined the TV interview, given that Le Iene is widely seen as an advocate of Stamina. Stamina's therapy has, incredibly, flouted all the laws and rules that are in place to protect patients. The health ministry's national institute (ISS) and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) have already forbidden the clinical use of cells created by the Stamina procedure because of their failure to comply with safety standards.