The death of Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis has revived debate in Greece over so-called "regenerative" and "anti-aging" therapies, prompting the Hellenic Society of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine to renew its calls for stricter scientific oversight of such treatments.
In a statement, the Society said it was not prejudging the cause of Mazonakis's death and was not linking the case to any specific therapeutic procedure. But it said the death had again brought into focus a serious issue: the promotion of therapeutic approaches to the public without sufficient scientific documentation for the condition they claim to treat.
Society's statement
The Society said that regardless of the exact cause of Mazonakis's death, and regardless of whether it turned out to be connected to any therapeutic procedure, the event had reopened a particularly serious question: the use and marketing of treatments described as "regenerative" or "anti-aging" without it always being clear whether they are licensed, what scientific evidence supports them, what condition they are approved to treat, and what the safety data show.
The Society said it was especially disheartening to see such interventions still being offered to the public under these conditions.
Earlier warnings
The Society said this was not the first time it had raised the issue. On 27 April 2026 it held a public seminar titled "Truths and Myths about Cell Therapies", aimed at giving the public reliable information about cell-based treatments.
It said it had also made formal written submissions to the relevant Greek authorities about similar practices, as part of its efforts to press for closer scrutiny of clinics offering unproven regenerative treatments.
Call for transparency
The Society said that protecting and informing patients and the public required responsibility, transparency and evidence-based medicine.
The Hellenic Society of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine is a scientific body representing specialists in gene- and cell-based treatments in Greece. The field of regenerative medicine spans established, regulated therapies for specific diseases as well as newer interventions, sometimes marketed directly to the public as ways to slow ageing or "regenerate" tissue, that have not always undergone the same level of scientific and regulatory scrutiny.
Mazonakis was one of Greece's best-known singers. His death this week drew wide public attention in Greece to clinics offering cell- and plasma-based treatments.
