The current status of clinics providing private practice cell therapy in Japan

Abstract

Aim: To clarify the current state of clinics in Japan that offer unproven cell therapies.

Methods: Google searches were performed to collect and analyze what kind of clinics provide what kind of cell therapies.

Results: A total of 74 clinics and 247 cases of cell therapies were identified. Various cell therapies, including allograft, were provided not only to seriously ill patients but also to patients with other therapeutic options and healthy individuals.

Discussion: Although the practices revealed by our study seem to deviate from international standard, some of these can be construed as legal under the Japanese new act established in 2014.

Conclusion: Considering many patients travel to foreign countries to seek therapy, more research from non-English-speaking countries is needed.

Keywords: Japan; cell therapies; medical tourism; regulations; unproven.