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Burton J. Kushner, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(1):94-96.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In March 2008, National Public Radio featured a story about a "medical breakthrough." It focused on a girl from the United States with congenital bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia who went to China to receive experimental intravenous injections of embryonic umbilical cord stem cells for a cost of more than $20 000. The physicians in China said the child's vision was improving, despite the fact that the parents themselves saw no change in her visual function. They did, however, think their daughter's pupils were dilating "to let in more light." National Public Radio subsequently interviewed various US experts who outlined their reservations about this treatment, stating among other things, "There is no evidence this treatment works." Subsequently there was a flurry of commentary in the mainstream media and on the Internet. I was inundated with queries from patients who learned of the story. I also received numerous e-mails . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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