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MUSE CELLS

MUSE stem cells — what they are, and what we actually use

A straight answer about a therapy we no longer offer, and about the protocol we do.

MUSE cells are a rare subtype of mesenchymal stem cell identified by Japanese researcher Mari Dezawa. Stem Cells Colombia does not currently offer MUSE cell therapy. We work with Passage 3 Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells, applied under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. This page explains the difference so you can decide for yourself.

What are MUSE cells?

MUSE stands for Multilineage-differentiating Stress-Enduring cells. They are a small subpopulation found within mesenchymal stem cell cultures, first described by Dr. Mari Dezawa at Tohoku University in Japan.

What makes them interesting to researchers is their reported ability to survive stress conditions and to differentiate into cell types from all three germ layers.

MUSE cells remain an active area of clinical research. Several trials have been registered in Japan, and published results to date are early-stage. No regulatory body has approved MUSE cell therapy as a standard treatment for the conditions discussed on this site.

Do you offer MUSE cell therapy?

No. We previously listed Dezawa MuseCells™ protocols. We no longer offer them.

We would rather tell you that plainly than let you travel to Medellín expecting something we don't provide.

OUR PROTOCOL

What we use instead

Passage 3 mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's jelly — the tissue inside the umbilical cord — combined with exosomes.

Wharton's jelly

Umbilical-cord tissue, donated after healthy scheduled births with maternal consent and screening.

Passage 3

The number of times the cells have been expanded in the lab. Earlier passages are younger and more metabolically active. Most clinics don't disclose their passage number.

Imaging-guided application

Intra-articular, intradiscal, epidural or facet-joint delivery guided by ultrasound or fluoroscopy — in the operating room, under sedation or local anaesthesia.

Volume

50–100 million cells per joint. 150–350 million for systemic IV protocols.

What we can say honestly: this is the protocol we have the most experience with — more than 8,000 procedures — and the one our medical team can deliver with precise, imaging-guided placement. We are not claiming it outperforms MUSE cells. That comparison has not been settled by published evidence, and anyone who tells you otherwise is ahead of the data.
Learn more about our stem cells

If you were specifically looking for MUSE therapy

You have three reasonable options.

1

Look into registered clinical trials

MUSE cell research is concentrated in Japan. Public trial registries are the place to start.

2

Ask any clinic the same questions you would ask us

Cell source, passage number, lab traceability, how the cells are applied, and what evidence they are relying on. A clinic that won't answer those in writing is telling you something.

3

Consider whether a conventional mesenchymal protocol fits your case

For joint, spine and many systemic indications, that is the route with the most clinical experience behind it. A free case review will tell you whether you are a candidate.

See treatments by condition See pricing

Frequently asked questions

There is no settled evidence that they are. MUSE cells show properties that interest researchers, but comparative clinical data against standard mesenchymal protocols is limited. Treat any clinic claiming superiority as making a marketing statement, not a scientific one.
We concentrated our protocol on Passage 3 Wharton's jelly cells, which is where our medical team has the most procedural experience and the most consistent supply chain.
Passage number counts how many times cells have been expanded in culture. Cells at earlier passages are younger and more metabolically active. Most clinics do not publish theirs. We do.
In many cases yes, using our standard protocol. Eligibility depends on your medical history and imaging. A specialist reviews each case before any treatment is proposed. See all conditions we treat.
Medellín, Colombia — Carrera 25 #9A Sur-162, El Poblado. Most international patients stay 2–5 days, with hotel and transfers included. About Medellín.
MUSE cells (Multilineage-differentiating Stress Enduring cells) are a subpopulation found within mesenchymal populations, identified by the SSEA-3 marker. They are not a separate therapy so much as a fraction of a broader cell family. Standard mesenchymal protocols use the whole population. Comparative clinical data between the two is limited, so neither can be called superior on the evidence available today.
Research interest centres on their reported ability to survive stress conditions and migrate to damaged tissue. That work is largely preclinical and early-phase. MUSE cells are not approved as a standard treatment, and reported benefits should be read as research findings rather than as established clinical outcomes.
We do not maintain a directory of providers and cannot vouch for clinics we have not worked with. If you are evaluating any centre offering it, ask for the passage number, the cell count, whether viability is independently verified, and what published evidence supports the specific protocol being sold to you.

Not sure which protocol fits your case?

Send us your diagnosis and imaging on WhatsApp. A specialist reviews it and tells you honestly whether you are a candidate — including when the answer is no.

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