Agencies are targeting stem cell clinics that sell false hope to vulnerable people and reap all the benefits.

Two Illinois state agencies are investigating various stem cell clinics after patients who’ve paid thousands of dollars in treatments have discovered that they don’t work. Two patients by the name of Patricia and Frank paid $4,500 each for the injections in a knee.

“They said that they would regenerate the cartilage,” said Patricia.

“You’ll be able to walk again without pain,” are the words Frank was told.

Another patient, Amira, paid $8,500 for both knees, although she still walks with a cane.

John is another patient who was duped after paying $14,000 in his neck and shoulder: “I was mad they ripped me off,” he said.

Now the Department of Professional Regulation (DPR) and the Attorney General’s office plan to investigate and, if warranted, take action against the operators of these kinds of clinics.

Dr. Brian Zachariah is the medical coordinator for the DPR. “Most of these things are unproven at best and doctors should be informing patients properly about what the risks and benefits are, and not overhyping or overselling any treatments,” he said.

CBS 2 investigators went undercover to attend seminars in order to document the various claims made by clinicians. They went to a seminar lead by chiropractor Jill Howe, who said that the success rate of these procedures is around 80%. However, that is unproven in FDA clinical trials.

Dr. Zachariah says, “There is no medical evidence that something injected systemically is going to automatically go to the one damaged part in the body. The department is concerned that people are being mislead, oversold, overcharged on therapies that they’re desperate to get.”

Providers who do that could face disciplinary action like fines, license suspensions, or even revocations.

If you’re a patient with a complaint or you know someone who has complaints after going through one of these procedures, you’re encouraged to file a claim with the Illinois Department of Federal Regulation or the AG’s office.