The quote by Proust opening this chapter aptly symbolizes the hope many brave patients maintain in the face of debilitating, progressive diseases. For them the woods are growing dark, but the blue sky beyond remains their focus and motivation. Unfortunately for many who are gravely ill, time is running out and they simply cannot wait for the day when new stem cell advancements may be approved to help ameliorate their suffering. For some patients with intractable medical conditions, the possibility of receiving a stem cell–based intervention now, outside the context of a clinical trial, may be an alluring prospect.

People’s faith in the power of stem cells today has helped feed a phenomenon widely known as “stem cell tourism.” Stem cell tourism is a worrying new form of medical travel driven by hope and pretense. Clinics around the world are offering unproven stem cell–based therapies to desperate patients for a wide array of medical conditions. Many of these stem cell clinics have come under attack by scientists, clinicians, and bioethicists on grounds that they exploit seriously ill patients and threaten legitimate progress in the stem cell field (Hyun et al. 2008).