In an appearance last year on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, Mel Gibson raved about how a trip to a Panama stem cell clinic had led to his ailing 92-year-old father’s seemingly superhuman recovery. YouTube testimonials have become a potent marketing tool for the burgeoning stem cell industry, according to a new study. With over one billion users, the Google-owned video giant has greater reach than any television network, the authors wrote in the journal Stem Cell Reports, “and presents a formidable platform to market unproven SCTs (stem cell therapies. “It becomes very clear that patient testimonials, patient narratives, are a huge part of the marketing strategy,” Caulfield said. Former patients described how their stem cell treatments (from one or two injections, to eight) led to increased appetite, strength, movement and flexibility.

Source: National Post June 24, 2019 18:26 UTC