The Kardashians and other celebs have tried stem cell therapy. Does it work — and are there risks?

Khloé Kardashian has “fallen in love with stem cells.” And she’s not the only celebrity to embrace a new treatment that proclaims to reduce chronic pain and even provide anti-aging benefits.

The Good American founder shared a photo of herself in an Aug. 27 Instagram post with Eterna Health founder Dr. Adeel Khan, who calls himself an expert in the field of regenerative medicine. Kardashian said her time with the doctor was the “most incredible experience,” writing that she received a “a muse stem cell treatment” from Khan alongside her sister, Kim Kardashian, at his Mexico clinic.

“I work out 5 days a week so having something to help with recovery, inflammation and overall wellness, is next level. Not to mention the bonus of anti-aging (maybe my favorite perk),” Khloé Kardashian wrote. “I’m in awe of the science and so hopeful for the future. My dream is that one day treatments like this will be accessible and affordable to everyone, everywhere.”

Kim Kardashian previously shared her two experiences with stem cell therapy in an Aug. 8 Instagram post. She said she first received the treatment from Khan two years ago, after a shoulder injury from lifting weights left her in debilitating pain — and said that Khan’s treatment left her feeling “completely normal” with a full range of motion in her shoulder. She returned this year to receive treatment for chronic back pain, something that she said transformed a body she thought was “breaking down.”

The Skims founder also wrote that since Muse stem cells aren’t yet accessible in the U.S., she traveled to Mexico for the treatments. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity and resources to pursue this healing, and I pray the science continues to evolve so more people can benefit,” she wrote.

And it’s not just the Kardashians going all-in on stem cells. Actor Adam Devine spoke to Yahoo in January about receiving stem cell therapy in Colombia, after he suffered what he described as pain and spasms in adulthood after he was hit by a cement truck as a child.

“I had a few friends that have done it, and I had my doctors look into it, because I didn't know anything about stem cells,” the Pitch Perfect actor recalled. “They were like, ‘On the record, we don't do that here in the States. I can't say that you should do it, but off the record, if I were you, I would take advantage of this opportunity and go do it.’ So I went to this clinic called BioXcellerator and did the stem cells.”

Two months after he received the treatment, he said he was able to hold his son for longer, stand for longer stretches of time and take longer walks.

Meanwhile, Blueprint founder and longevity influencer Bryan Johnson also got in on the stem cell action, flying to the Bahamas to have mesenchymal stem cells put into his knees, hips and shoulders.

How does stem cell therapy work?

According to the Mayo Clinic, stem cell therapy — a part of regenerative medicine — is a treatment approach that uses stem cells to repair or replace damaged tissues and organs. Researchers grow stem cells in a lab and turn them into specialized cells — such as heart, blood or nerve cells — which can then be implanted to help heal injuries or disease. While certain stem cell transplants, such as bone marrow transplants, have long been used to treat blood cancers and other conditions, research is ongoing to expand their use.

Right now, the only stem cell treatments the Food and Drug Administration has approved use blood-forming stem cells from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, and they are only approved to treat diseases that affect blood production, such as leukemia. The FDA strictly regulates regenerative medicine products, but says that clinics are illegally marketing unapproved treatments — such as stem cells — as safe and effective for a wide range of conditions without proper testing.

People seeking stem cell therapy outside of this scope must leave the country to seek it out.

Is stem cell therapy risky?

Many treatments offered by private clinics “may be operating outside of regulatory oversight and scientific collaboration,” Dr. Anna Couturier told the Telegraph in April 2024. They don’t publish their methods or outcomes, leaving patients vulnerable. In 2017, three patients went blind after receiving unproven stem cell therapy treatments during what was touted as a clinical trial at a facility in Florida. That same year, a report found that there may be an increased risk of cancer with lab grown stem cells.

Plus, while some people — such as Khloé Kardashian and 85-year-old actor John Cleese — say they love the anti-aging impacts of stem cell therapy, there is no proven cosmetic use for the therapy.

And what makes stem cell therapy so exciting is also what makes it potentially dangerous. Pluripotent stem cells — which are derived either from embryos or created in labs — can become any cell type in the body. Jon Frampton, a stem cell biologist at the University of Birmingham, told the Telegraph, “If put into the wrong context without the right prompts and cues, stem cells do what they’re capable of doing but in a very random way.” He noted you could “get a tumor called a teratoma, because the stem cells grow a lot and form a lump.”

The Eterna Health website describes their trademarked “MuseCells” as “next-generation stem cells with the unique ability to transform into the exact tissue your body needs to repair and regenerate.”

“From cellular repair to whole-body rejuvenation, MuseCells™ offer unmatched healing potential. Transforms into functional tissue — heart, nerve, muscle, and more,” the site reads, noting that the cells can target damaged areas for “precise regeneration” as well as support “recovery from injury, inflammation, and aging.”

The site says that there is no downtime following their “non-invasive” treatments. Yahoo reached out to Eterna Health for comment.

How much does stem cell therapy cost?

Across the board, stem cell therapy is pricey — something the Kardashians pointed out in their posts. Routine insurance typically won't cover stem cell therapy.

The Eterna Health site does not list specific costs for its services, however, they state on their website that they offer a “range of treatments tailored to individual needs, so pricing can vary.” The site also states that Eterna Health is committed to making itself an “affordable solution for everyone.”

Meanwhile, the starting cost of a single treatment from the company BioXcellerator, where Devine went for the therapy, begins at $18,500. And Johnson posted on X that he paid more than $40,000 for his treatment during his visit to biotech company Cellcolabs.