Injecting into a vein sends it to where it's needed for a healing effect? ​​… Will 'stem cell intravenous injection' make eternal life a reality?

Injecting into a vein allows it to go where it's needed for a healing effect?… Will 'stem cell intravenous injection' make eternal life a reality?



The era in which aging was an inevitable reality has passed. The average life expectancy of Koreans is 81, surpassing the OECD average. However, the issue lies in how "healthily" one spends their later years. While life expectancy has increased, most people spend the last three years of their lives battling various illnesses.

Recently, an increasing number of middle-aged and elderly people are eating small portions, consuming nourishing foods, exercising consistently, and checking their health through regular checkups to stay energetic during their final three years. As a means of preparing in advance for a happy later life, health management using 'nutritional injections' has recently become popular. Among these, stem cell intravenous injections have recently emerged as a trend.

Mr. Yoon (52), who runs an IT company, rarely has days off due to the nature of his work. He even brought a makeshift bed to the office and sleeps in short bursts almost every day. He eats out almost every day, and his diet consists mainly of instant food. As a result, while his bank account is growing thicker, his physical strength is depleting day by day and his health is deteriorating, causing him to feel a sense of crisis. The sudden death of a middle-aged man did not seem like something that would happen to others.

Just as I was worrying about this, a college friend working in the same industry piqued my interest by telling me that he had been going to Osaka, Japan, to get stem cell intravenous injections for the past two or three years. My friend said, “At first, I didn’t feel any significant changes after the injections, so I thought it was a waste of money, but my condition has gradually improved noticeably, and I can now handle all-night work without any trouble.” The cost of the injections amounted to a whopping 100 million won.

Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic, stated, “Extracting stem cells from sources such as hip bone marrow, concentrating them, and administering them intravenously can strengthen systemic blood vessels and boost immunity.” He further explained, “It has been revealed that, due to the characteristics of stem cells that regenerate damaged cells into normal ones, injecting them into the bloodstream at high concentrations allows them to circulate throughout the body, reaching affected areas to provide healing.”

Stem cells found in bone marrow and blood differentiate into specific tissue cells when needed. They are attracting attention from the medical community for their effects in wound healing, blood vessel regeneration, dementia prevention, fatigue recovery, improved blood circulation, prevention of chronic diseases, and immune system strengthening.

The expectation that such stem cells will be unconditionally effective in improving intractable diseases and managing physical strength and health is the reason people go so far as to travel abroad. In reality, while stem cells show improvement effects for various diseases, their efficacy and safety have only been proven in Korea for four diseases: myocardial infarction, knee cartilage damage, Crohn's disease, and ALS.

Currently in Korea, intravenous injections can be administered as off-label prescriptions for anti-aging or disease improvement at the discretion of a doctor. The cost of a single injection is around 20 million won. Due to the high cost, some medical "brokers" take patients to Japan, Shanghai, or Harbin in China for tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won at a time, under the condition that they will provide stem cell injections for life.

There are places in Korea that administer stem cell intravenous injections. Director Shin Dong-jin stated, “Since stem cells involve injecting the patient’s own cells, the procedure can be attempted without worrying about side effects; however, it must be performed after considering the patient’s health condition, and thorough monitoring must be carried out afterward.” He added, “Just as the therapeutic effects for conditions such as myocardial infarction have already been established, positive results can be obtained by using stem cell therapies with verified safety.”

Reporter Jo Won-ik wick@sportsworldi.com