Stem Cells in the US: What the Regulations Actually Mean and How the Therapy Works

Stem cells come up constantly: on podcasts, in ads, from athletes sharing recovery stories on Instagram. But most of what gets discussed is happening outside the United States, under completely different rules. What's actually available here, and what does that mean for a patient considering this treatment? In this video, Dr. Swift explains the US regulatory framework for stem cell therapy, specifically Section 361 biologics, and what that framework requires. He covers where cells can be sourced from, why umbilical cord-derived Wharton's Jelly is the most common source used at Swift Health, and what the regulations around donation screening, cryogenic preservation, and homologous use actually mean in practice. He also walks through what Wharton's Jelly contains beyond just stem cells, and explains the mechanism of how transplanted cells send a signal to the body to trigger your own stem cells to begin multiplying exponentially, and why that signaling capacity diminishes as we age. Finally, Dr. Swift gives an honest account of where the evidence stands right now. The studies are limited but directionally positive, and a larger comparative trial is currently underway. Swift Health has completed over 100 of these procedures. The results so far are what they are, and the future studies will either confirm or complicate them. To learn more about stem cell therapy at Swift Health, visit swifthealthchiropractic.com