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ACSM urges caution in peds stem cell work

The Indianapolis, IN-based American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in May released a call to action paper outlining major priorities for research in regenerative medicine therapies in pediatric sports injuries.

Regenerative medicine shows promise in many areas of medicine, but there is scant evidence on its safety or effectiveness for bone, cartilage, ligament, or muscle tissue injuries in children and adolescents, said study lead author Thomas Best, MD, PhD, professor of orthopedics, family medicine, biomedical engineering, and kinesiology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

The seven-point call to action advises: exercising caution in treating youth with cell-based therapies as research continues; improving regulatory oversight of these emerging therapies; expanding governmental and private research funding; creating patient registries to gather treatment and outcomes data; developing a multiyear policy and outreach agenda to increase public awareness; building a multidisciplinary consortium to gather data and promote systematic regulation; and developing and pursuing a clear collective impact agenda to address the “hype” surrounding regenerative medicine.

Current Sports Medicine Reports published the paper on May 15.

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