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Attorney General Letitia James of New York said on Thursday that she had filed a lawsuit against a for-profit stem cell clinic, Park Avenue Stem Cell, claiming it performed unproven, rogue procedures on patients with a wide range of medical conditions, from erectile dysfunction to heart disease. “Misleading vulnerable consumers who are desperate to find a treatment for serious and painful medical conditions is unacceptable, unlawful, and immoral,” Ms. James said in a statement. “We will continue to investigate these types of clinics that shamelessly add to the suffering of these consumers by charging them thousands of dollars for treatments that they know are ineffective.” (Abelson, 4/4)

The actions are part of a growing attempt by government officials to regulate a burgeoning industry that critics say has injured at least two dozen patients in recent years and cheated thousands more. Hundreds of clinics have popped up selling stem cell procedures — not covered by insurance, unproven by science and unauthorized by the government — that the clinics claim can treat ailments ranging from creaky knees to Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Such clinics are “misleading vulnerable consumers who are desperate to find a treatment for serious and painful medical conditions,” New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said in a statement, calling such behavior “unacceptable, unlawful, and immoral.” (Wan and McGlinley, 4/4)