"Another relapse"
Relapsing MS that keeps flaring up
Each relapse leaves something behind: a weaker leg, blurred vision, more tiredness. You want something aimed at the inflammation behind them, alongside your current treatment.
Multiple sclerosis · Medellín, Colombia
Stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosisCalm the attack on your nerves. Protect what you have.
In multiple sclerosis, your own immune system damages the protective coating of your nerves. Mesenchymal stem cells are studied for their ability to calm that immune response, and here they are given through a vein or, when the neurologist recommends it, into the fluid around the spinal cord. A neurologist reviews every case first, so your plan is designed for you.
- Neurologist review first
- IV or intrathecal
- 2 visits usually
2routes: intravenous or intrathecal
4 daysfor the intrathecal protocol
2visits usually recommended, 6–8 weeks apart
3–6 mowhen results are usually seen
Who it helps
If one of these is you, keep reading.
"I was just diagnosed"
A recent diagnosis, and a lot to protect
You were diagnosed within the last year and want to act early. The neurologist may also consider the intrathecal route.
"It's getting slowly worse"
Progressive MS, and you want to act
Walking takes more effort and your hands are less steady. You want to know what may help slow it.
"My medication isn't enough"
On treatment, and ready to add support
You take a disease-modifying therapy, but new symptoms keep appearing. You want to add something, never to stop what your neurologist prescribed.
"Always tired"
Fatigue, bladder and balance problems
The hidden symptoms of MS shape your day more than anyone sees. You want to know what may improve.
What the cells do
What the cells may do in multiple sclerosis
Mesenchymal stem cells work mostly by the signals they release, which is why they are studied for the immune side of MS.
Calm the immune attack
In MS, some immune cells mistake myelin (the coating that insulates your nerves) for an enemy. Mesenchymal stem cells release signals that may push the immune system toward regulatory T cells, the cells that tell an attack to stand down. For you, the aim is fewer flare-ups and less new damage.
Lower inflammation in the brain and spinal cord
Ongoing inflammation is what keeps adding new lesions (the spots seen on your MRI). The cells are studied for how they may lower that inflammation. Less inflammation could mean more stable scans and a steadier course.
Support the nerve cells still working
The cells release growth factors (natural proteins that help nerve cells survive). They may help protect the nerves and the myelin-making cells that are still alive. The goal is to keep more of the function you have today.
Closer to the target, for some
Given intrathecally, the cells go into the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that bathes your brain and spinal cord. In one trial with mesenchymal stem cells, this route showed extra benefits over the vein. The neurologist decides whether it is right for you.
What patients hope to change
- Fewer relapses, or milder ones
- Less new activity on the MRI
- Less fatigue on ordinary days
- Steadier walking and balance
- Better bladder and bowel control
- More confidence in daily tasks with the hands
The aim is to protect the function you have today and help slow the disease.
Two routes
IV or intrathecal? The neurologist decides.
Both use the same cells. What changes is how they reach the nervous system, and who each route is for.
Intravenous
- For most patients, at any stage
- How through a vein, slowly, over three hours or more
- Can be added exosomes, IV and nebulized
- Days three in Medellín
- From $4,000
Intrathecal
- For the patients the neurologist selects, case by case
- How into the fluid around the spinal cord, in the operating room
- Also exosomes, IV and nebulized
- Days four in Medellín
- From $7,300
What the evidence says
What the research shows so far
Mesenchymal stem cells for MS have been tested in small and medium-sized human trials, by vein and into the spinal fluid. The results are encouraging, and the research keeps growing.
Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells given by vein were well tolerated, and several measures of disability and quality of life improved.
Safety and feasibility study, 20 people with MS, one year of follow-up. No serious side effects were reported.
Clinical feasibility of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. · Journal of Translational Medicine, 2018 ↗Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells given into the spinal fluid were well tolerated, and the general disability score improved at 6 months.
Phase I/II dose-finding study in people with MS, comparing one and two intrathecal doses. Two doses showed more improvements, including in lesion load and hand dexterity.
Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Phase I/II Dose-Finding Clinical Study. · Cell Transplantation, 2024 ↗Fewer patients got worse with mesenchymal stem cells than with a sham treatment, and the intrathecal route did better than the vein in several measures.
Randomized, sham-controlled trial in 48 people with active progressive MS, using the patients' own bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, by vein or into the spinal fluid, over 14 months.
Beneficial effects of autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in active progressive multiple sclerosis. · Brain, 2020 ↗Across 30 studies, cells given into the spinal fluid showed a small improvement in disability compared with placebo, and the treatment was generally safe.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using mesenchymal stem cells in relapsing and progressive MS.
Neurological efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. · Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 2024 ↗In short: The safety record in these studies is good, and several trials showed improvements in disability and quality of life, most clearly when the cells were given into the spinal fluid. A neurologist reviews your case, and the cells work alongside your disease-modifying therapy.
Your treatment & price
Three days.
The infusion runs slowly, over three hours or more, with a physician present. Afterwards you rest with your coordinator checking on you; if you add the Marriott Hotel, it is one elevator away. Results are usually expected between 3 and 6 months.
An online consultation with the neurologist designs your plan before you book anything, so you travel with everything clear.
The trip works like every treatment: Evaluation by the specialist, online consultation, and your days in Medellín. See your journey.
Multiple sclerosis · from $4,000
From $4,000
USD · final price confirmed after your medical consultation
- Stem cells IV, with a dose designed for you
- Cancer markers and premedication
- A consultation with the specialist for your condition
- A bilingual coordinator
- Can be added: exosomes, a blood detox IV, the Marriott Hotel in the same building and airport transfers
Flights and meals not included.
Your medical team
A neurologist decides. A specialist applies.
Dr. Zaida Cabezas, neurologist, reviews every case first, with your MRI, your diagnosis date and your blood work, and decides whether you are a candidate and by which route. If the intrathecal route is chosen, Dr. Diana Reyes, anesthesiologist and pain specialist, performs the application in the operating room. The medical team coordinates with the neurologist who treats you at home.
Questions
Your questions, answered.
Am I a candidate?
It depends on your type of MS, how long ago you were diagnosed, your MRI and your general health. Send your reports; a neurologist reviews them, so your plan is designed for you before you book anything.
What do the stem cells actually do in MS?
They release signals that may calm the immune attack on your myelin (the coating of your nerves) and lower inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. They are also studied for helping nerve cells survive. The aim is to help slow the disease and protect the function you have.
IV or intrathecal: which one will I get?
The neurologist decides. The intravenous route suits most patients, at any stage. The intrathecal route, into the fluid around the spinal cord, is done in the operating room, and the neurologist decides, case by case, whether it fits you.
When would I see results?
Changes usually build between 3 and 6 months, and every body responds at its own pace. Your neurologist follows your progress with you.
How many visits will I need?
Two visits are usually recommended: one now and a second 6 to 8 weeks later, repeating the protocol; returning patients receive a returning-patient discount on the second visit. The neurologist confirms it for your case.
What tests do you need?
Your latest MRI, your diagnosis date and recent blood work: CBC, vitamin B12, folate, HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis serology, TSH and free T4, fasting glucose and HbA1c, ferritin, creatinine, liver enzymes and vitamin D. Every protocol also includes cancer markers.
Do I stop my MS medication?
No. This works alongside the neurologist who treats you at home, never instead. Never stop or change a disease-modifying therapy on your own; your own neurologist leads that.
How do you keep me safe?
Every protocol starts with cancer markers, for your safety: it is designed for people without active cancer. The neurologist also reviews your full history first, so your plan is designed for you.
Is it legal and safe?
Stem cell therapy is not approved by the FDA, but in Colombia it is legal. Every application is done by specialist physicians, after a neurologist has reviewed your case.
What does the intrathecal protocol look like?
Four days in Medellín. Day 1: cancer markers and nebulized exosomes. Day 2: premedication, a blood detox IV and nebulized exosomes. Day 3: premedication, the intrathecal application of stem cells in the operating room, and nebulized exosomes. Day 4: exosomes IV and nebulized exosomes. The neurologist reviews your case first and decides whether this route is for you.
How much does it cost?
The intravenous MS protocol starts from $4,000 USD: the stem cells IV, premedication, cancer markers and a consultation with the neurologist. Exosomes, a blood detox IV, the Marriott Hotel in the same building and airport transfers can be added to your plan, and your coordinator sends that price in writing. The intrathecal protocol starts from $7,300 USD and includes the stem cells by the intrathecal route in the operating room with sedation and fluoroscopy, exosomes IV, local and nebulized, three consultations, a blood detox IV, four nights at the Marriott Hotel in the same building and airport transfers. Your exact price is confirmed after the neurologist consultation.
Your next step
Send your latest MRI and your diagnosis date.
A neurologist reviews your case and tells you which route fits you, before you book anything.