Perhaps new medical services is the panacea for all those commercial vacancies? The Los Angeles Business Journal reports that the Koreatown Galleria on Olympic Boulevard has an unlikely tenant--a controversial stem cell clinic. From the LABJ: "In this most unlikely place, one of the world’s largest stem cell clinics, a South Korean company called RNL Bio Co. Ltd., has established its American headquarters. Looking to attract a foothold in the U.S. market, it is tapping into L.A.’s sizable Korean community – even as two patient deaths in Asia have incited criticism of the company back home...Since opening in March, that office has sent about 120 patients for treatment overseas. More than 90 percent of them are Korean. Patients pay between $10,000 and $30,000 to have their adult stem cells – which can be found in fat – extracted through liposuction by a local doctor, sent to the company’s Maryland laboratory for processing, shipped to Korea to be multiplied, and then injected back into their bodies in RNL’s partner facilities in China, Japan or even Tijuana." The LABJ interviews one young gal who believes stem cells may have helped her regain her hearing, while critics caution against the risks of the service. For those of you without health issues, but an affinity towards your pet, FYI, the company's web site advertises pet dog cloning.
· Stem Cells Take Root in Koreatown [LABJ]
· Koreatown Galleria [Official Site]
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