Event: Stem Cell Therapy and Medical Tourism: Of Promise and Peril? – November 28, 2012

The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Stem Cell institute are co-sponsoring an event on November 28, 2012, “Stem Cell Therapy and Medical Tourism: Of Promise and Peril?”

When: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 3:00-4:30PM (Reception to follow)

Where: Austin Hall, Room 111, Harvard Law School

Experimental breakthroughs within the field of regenerative medicine are reported in the media on a daily basis worldwide. Despite this progress, the overwhelming majority of clinical problems for which stem cell-based intervention offers hope remain therapeutically unproven, and a major gap exists between current public understanding and the availability of innovative therapies.

This event will feature a distinguished panel of speakers addressing various aspects of medical tourism for stem cell therapy. Presentations will cover the state of stem cell science, historical context and comparisons related to earlier instances of medical utopianism, empirical data on the nature of stem cell tourism, how to address patient hopes in the realm of unproven therapies, and special issues related to stem cell tourism by parents for their children.

The event will be moderated by M. William Lensch, Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Speakers include:

  • Brock Reeve, Harvard Stem Cell Institute – Welcome and Introductions
  • George Q. Daley, Harvard Stem Cell Institute – Stem Cells: The Gap Between Current Science and Clinical Implementation
  • Jill Lepore, Harvard University – Resurrection, Past and Present
  • Tim Caulfield, University of Alberta – Stem Cell Tourism: Is the Problem Getting Worse?
  • Insoo Hyun, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine – Therapeutic Hope and Its Challenges for Rational Ethical Discourse
  • I. Glenn Cohen, Petrie-Flom Center, Harvard Law School – Stem Cell Tourism, Children, Abuse, and Reporting

There will be substantial time set aside for audience Q&A, and the conversation will continue after the event at an open reception. This event is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School.