Científicas panameñas advierten que las clínicas que ofrecen terapias con células madre no probadas en Panamá ofrecen supuestas curas para enfermedades crónicas y degenerativas, sin el respaldo probatorio de seguridad y eficacia.

Una terapia experimental no puede presentarse como un tratamiento, señalan las profesionales, adscritas al Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud y del Comité Nacional de Bioética de la Investigación.

Indican que para que una intervención sea incorporada a la práctica médica, debe demostrar seguridad y eficacia mediante estudios clínicos controlados.

La comercialización de intervenciones basadas en células madre no probadas plantea desafíos de salud pública, ética y regulatoria.

Un artículo en la revista especializada Stem Cell Reports examina el marketing online en Panamá, identifica nuevos negocios y sostiene que la falta de aplicación regulatoria ha contribuido a su expansión.

Durante más de una década, clínicas de todo el mundo se han establecido en América Latina para ofrecer intervenciones basadas en células madre no probadas para una amplia gama de enfermedades y afecciones, a pesar de carecer de evidencia sólida de seguridad y eficacia.

Los pacientes viajan a países con regulaciones flexibles para estos tratamientos, un fenómeno conocido como “turismo de células madre”, a pesar del posible daño.

La publicación indica que se han reportado extensamente eventos adversos graves tras células madre no probado, incluyendo tromboembolismo, fibrosis, tumores, pérdida de visión severa y muerte.

Varios estudios han identificado empresas en distintos países que ofrecen células madre no probado.

En Panamá, la revista revela que el primer negocio fue identificado en 2013, cuando se estableció el Instituto de Medicina Celular, anteriormente ubicado en India, México y Costa Rica.

Durante ese periodo, se publicaron numerosos anuncios en periódicos locales, revistas de viajes y en redes sociales, utilizando testimonios de celebridades sobre los “tratamientos” recibidos.

La grave brecha regulatoria, junto con el aumento de la comercialización de tratamientos no probado, puso de manifiesto la necesidad de un nuevo marco regulatorio, lo que llevó a la adopción del Decreto 179 por el Ministerio de Salud de Panamá.

En octubre de 2025 se descubrió que seis empresas comercializaban tratamientos no probados en Panamá, cinco de las que se habían reportado anteriormente.

Cada empresa, según la publicación, anunciaba entre seis y diez células madre no probados para una variedad de afecciones, incluyendo lesión medular, autoinmunidad, enfermedades cardiovasculares, autismo, esclerosis múltiple, fertilidad, neurológica, pulmonar, ortopédica, relacionada con la edad, dolor y parálisis cerebral.

Todas estas empresas comercializaban en sus sitios web el uso de células madre mesenquimales derivadas de sangre o tejido del cordón umbilical; dos empresas también declararon el uso de células madre derivado del adiposo; y células madres derivado de médula ósea. El método de administración fue intravenoso (83%), intratecal o intraarticular (33%) y intramuscular o perilinfático para un centro.

Los precios oscilaban entre $5.000 a $50.000 y las plataformas de redes sociales estaban integradas en sus sitios web, incluyendo Instagram o YouTube (67%), Facebook, LinkedIn o X/Twitter (33%).

Todas las empresas ofrecían paquetes de turismo médico, combinando “tratamiento” con servicios adicionales, como vuelos, alojamiento y visitas locales. Se identificaron más de 200 testimonios de pacientes, que van desde 13 hasta más de 170 por empresa.

Los posibles riesgos para la salud pública asociados a una célula madre no probada exigen acciones rápidas para reforzar el marco regulatorio nacional que garantice la protección de la salud pública.

A pesar de los avances en la regulación de la investigación con células madre y su aplicación clínica en Panamá, la publicación manifiesta que el creciente número de empresas que comercializan células madre no probado es preocupante. Los organismos reguladores deberían priorizar la estricta aplicación de cartas de advertencia o sanciones contra empresas que comercializan terapias no probadas.

La información precisa y científica sobre la validez y los riesgos de las aplicaciones de células madre es crucial para proteger al público, informar a los profesionales médicos y proteger los avances legítimos en investigación frente a afirmaciones infundadas, se comenta.

Los efectos positivos de las acciones regulatorias adoptadas por otros países en esta área son evidentes, por lo que la revista especializada dice que este enfoque podría adoptarse para mitigar la comercialización local de células madre no probadas y promover la seguridad del paciente, al tiempo que fomenta la investigación ética y científicamente fundamentada en células madre que abrirá nuevas posibilidades en este prometedor campo. No duda en afirmar que “es hora de que los organismos reguladores en Panamá tomen medidas”.

The 2026 midterm elections are 100 days away as Republicans and Democrats will battle in Congress and statehouses across the country for control over the future of the country in what is expected to be a contentious and expensive campaign season.

Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, controlling the House with a razor-thin 218-212 edge, with one independent and four vacancies, and the Senate with a 53-47 advantage, including two independents who caucus with Democrats.

With every House seat and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, Democrats need a net gain of just six House seats to reclaim the speaker’s gavel and four Senate seats to win back the upper chamber, making even a handful of competitive races capable of reshaping the balance of power in Washington.

The latest Fox News Power Rankings suggest a tough road ahead for Republicans as they go up against the historical headwind of the party not in power usually performing well in midterm elections, but the GOP will be bolstered in the House by redistricting wins in states like Florida and Texas.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT MAJOR CHANGE AMID ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISCONTENT

«We are in a prime position to win it in November,» Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News this week. «Under Biden we had some of the highest inflation ever. Gas prices were high. And this president has gone to bat for average Americans every single day, starting with ‘Working Family Tax Cuts,’ no tax on tips, overtime, social security. The fact that he’s been going to bat for the American worker, bringing record setting investments. The fact that he closed the border down.»

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), has been focusing on the economy and affordability in its messaging over the last few days as they promote Democrats in House races.

«From groceries to gas to health care, House Republicans have bled Americans’ wallets dry with their cost-raising agenda,» DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said in a press release. «Voters are exhausted by all the bad news vulnerable House Republicans have created, and the DCCC is working to make sure voters know they can hold Republicans accountable on Election Day.»

If the election were today, 53% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 46% the Republican,» a Fox News poll released this week showed. That 7-point edge is just outside the poll’s margin of error.

Democrats were up by 5 points in April. Notably, 53% is the highest percentage either party has received on the generic House ballot in Fox News polling since 1996.

But helping the GOP in the battle for the House majority: the mid-decade redistricting fight over the past year between the two parties, which handed Republicans a net gain of roughly 10 additional right-leaning congressional districts.

DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., prepares to speak during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

In the Senate, Republicans are looking to hold on to seats in Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine with record amounts of spending already pouring into those states as Democrats hope to capitalize on the historic, economic, foreign policy and anti-incumbent mood among voters.

The upcoming November clash comes as the Democratic Party deals with a socialist wave of candidates taking more and more control and winning primary races across the country, causing headaches for establishment Democratic leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the top two Democrats in Congress.

Just 50% of voters have a positive view of capitalism, down from a high of 57% in 2019, Fox News polling shows. For socialism, it’s 30% favorable, up from 27% last year but below the 32% who said the same in 2021. The Democratic Socialists of America are viewed positively by 31%.

By an 11-point margin, more Democrats have a favorable opinion of socialism (52%) than capitalism (41%), while by a 50-point margin, more Republicans have a positive view of capitalism (61%) than socialism (11%).

GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks to members of the media after a meeting with House Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on July 15, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Republicans are hoping to capitalize on the socialist rise within the Democratic Party, particularly after the socialist victories in New York City that rocked the political landscape in recent months. 

«Democrats want to export New York’s ‘commie corridor’ to a state near you, bringing crippling tax hikes, dismantled law enforcement, and bloated government spending with it,» NRSC national press decretary Bernadette Breslin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «Americans will reject Democrats’ socialist spending spree this November and elect Republicans committed to advancing an affordability agenda that keeps the American Dream within reach.»

NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that Republicans have the «momentum» and over the next 100 days, House Democrats will «spend every day trying to explain away their radical socialist record and why they opposed tax relief for working families, stronger border security, voter ID, and countless common-sense policies Americans overwhelmingly support.»

The RNC enters the final 100 days before the 2026 midterms with a significant financial advantage over its Democratic counterpart. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, the RNC has roughly $125.5 million in cash on hand, compared to about $14.9 million for the Democratic National Committee, which is also carrying approximately $18 million in debt.

While Democrats remain competitive through their congressional campaign committees and strong fundraising by individual candidates, the national party apparatus currently favors Republicans by a wide margin.

«So why does the DNC have less cash on hand than some expect?» DNC Chair Ken Martin wrote in a memo this week. «Because we made a conscious decision to invest money in the work required to win in 2025, 2026 and beyond. We are converting the cash we raise into electoral assets: more people, earlier organizing, better technology, and stronger state parties.»

Martin continued, «That answer may be unsatisfying to people who believe the purpose of a political party is to accumulate the largest possible bank balance until the final days before an election. But a party is not a savings account. Its purpose is to build power.»

Beyond Capitol Hill, control of governors’ mansions is also up for grabs as Republicans currently hold 26 governorships to Democrats’ 24, with 36 states electing governors this November, including a number of battlegrounds that will shape redistricting, election administration and state policy for years to come.

The results will help determine whether President Donald Trump enters the second half of his term with a Republican governing trifecta or faces a divided government that could dramatically alter the trajectory of his legislative agenda.

«We are nearly 100 days until Election Day, and the stakes for governor’s races across the country have never been higher,» Democratic Governors Association (DGA) Chair and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press release this week.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Democrats need a net gain of just six House seats to reclaim the majority gavel and four seats to win back the Senate. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«Donald Trump and Republican candidates for governor have a harmful, cost-raising agenda that is making life harder at every turn – and doing everything in their power to restrict our fundamental freedoms. But Democratic governors know how to fight back, and the DGA has the record to prove it.»

Republican Governors Association (RGA) spokesperson Kollin Crompton said in a statement to Fox News Digital that «the contrast couldn’t be clearer» between the two parties 100 days out from the midterms.

«Republican governors are leading the nation in jobs, wage growth, affordability, safety, and opportunity. Democrat governors are leading in higher taxes, higher costs, rising crime, and families fleeing their states,» Krompton said. «It’s common sense versus crazy. Results versus excuses. And we’ll spend every day until Election Day reminding voters which party is delivering.»

Several findings in the latest Fox News Poll show voters are unhappy and want major change, which bodes well for Democrats in November: Trump’s job approval remains near a record low, more Democrats are motivated to vote, Republicans join Democrats and independents in rating the economy negatively, and 4 in 10 voters want «dramatic» or «revolutionary» change. Plus, more view the GOP as tied to elites than the Democratic Party.

Voters say Democrats can better handle income inequality (+22 points), healthcare (+21), inflation (+10), the economy (+9), and foreign policy (+7). Republicans hold the advantage on crime (+7 points), while government spending (Democrats +3) and national security (R +2) are more evenly divided. On immigration, the GOP had an 8-point edge in April. Now, Democrats are preferred by one point.

More Democrats (68%) say they are extremely motivated to vote in November than Republicans (57%) by an 11-point margin. By a 25-point spread, more MAGA Republicans (66%) are extremely motivated than non-MAGA Republicans (41%).

Fox News’s Dana Blanton and Remy Numa contributed to this report.

An old hand very familiar to Israel has emerged as the new political leader of Hamas following a secret insider election that took months to unfold, and one regional expert said the development signals the terrorist group will not be charting a new course.

Khalil al-Hayya, who has been a key negotiator for Hamas and who has survived multiple alleged assassination attempts, will now lead the group’s political bureau. But Middle East Institute Senior Fellow Jaser AbuMousa told Fox News Digital his election is not exactly a passing of the torch.

«Expect more of the same, deliberately,» AbuMousa said. «Al-Hayya is Hamas’s chief negotiator and its ultimate institutional survivor, so you’ll see continued engagement at the negotiating table, ceasefire talks, prisoner exchanges, but do not mistake that for moderation.»

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

«Al-Hayya’s victory is best understood as an act of institutional self-preservation: a battered organization reaching for the most familiar hand available,» AbuMousa warned. «He is an experienced operator, and his elevation signals that Hamas, after the destruction of Gaza and the losses since Oct. 7, 2023, has prioritized organizational cohesion, armed continuity, and the preservation of its Iranian relationship over a genuine political reassessment.»

Several members of al-Hayya’s family, including four sons and other relatives, have also been killed in Israeli operations, according to reports.

In September 2025, Israel reportedly sought to kill al-Hayya in Qatar, striking a building where the Hamas delegation was staying.

«This is the paradox of Hamas leadership right now: the top job is essentially a death sentence, which is part of why the chair sat empty for nearly two years after Sinwar was killed,» the expert said.

ISRAEL’S MILITARY ELIMINATES HAMAS TERRORIST WHO HELPED ABDUCT AMERICAN-ISRAELI HOSTAGE, 3 OTHERS

Analysts say Al-Hayya’s elevation signals that Hamas, after the destruction of Gaza and the losses since Oct. 7, 2023, has prioritized organizational cohesion, armed continuity, and the preservation of its Iranian relationship. (Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«Al-Hayya himself also survived the Israeli strike in Doha last September. For an ordinary executive, that would be disqualifying,» he noted. «Inside Hamas it’s the opposite — surviving assassination is a credential.»

«Expect him to lead the way his predecessors did: rarely in public, moving between Doha and mediating capitals, communicating through statements and negotiators rather than appearances, with the real command decentralized so no single strike decapitates the movement,» AbuMousa continued. «An organization that rewards who has suffered most, rather than who has led best, has no real mechanism to correct course after a catastrophe like this one. That’s what should make anyone nervous.»

«Al-Hayya lost his four sons, which is a real and profound loss for any father. But two things can be true at once,» he noted. «His personal grief is genuine, and inside Hamas that sacrifice also functions as political capital that lifts him above criticism.»

IDF CLAIMS TO HAVE TAKEN OUT HAMAS COMMANDER WHO PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7

Al-Hayya replaced Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in late 2024. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

While Al-Hayya replaced Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024, his rise to power followed a secret election that stretched over months.

«After the near-total destruction of Gaza and staggering losses since Oct. 7, Hamas had a moment to reassess, and it chose continuity instead,» AbuMousa said. «It elevated a loyal survivor tied to Iran and the military wing rather than someone offering a different path.»

«The real story,» according to AbuMousa, «is that Hamas decided its safest bet was to remain exactly what it was: armed, aligned with Tehran, and unwilling to reckon with where its own decisions led Gaza.»

He also cautioned against viewing the leadership vote as a mandate from Gazans.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«This was a closed vote by a leadership council, not an election by the roughly 2 million Gazans whose lives Hamas claims to represent and who haven’t voted since 2006. Many of them blame Hamas for exposing them to this catastrophe,» he said.

«And watch the likely governance model: not a return to running Gaza openly, but a Hezbollah-style arrangement where Hamas sheds visible responsibility while keeping its weapons, its security structures, and a veto over any political deal,» he added.