"The medication helps, but it keeps moving."
A progressive diagnosis, already treated
You take what your neurologist prescribes, and you want to know if anything else is being studied to help slow things down.
Neurodegenerative conditions · Medellín
Stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative conditionsMore good days, carefully pursued.
Mesenchymal stem cells are studied for how they may calm inflammation in the nervous system and support the nerve cells that are still working. They are given intravenously over three days or, when the neurologist recommends it, intrathecally (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
3 daysfor the intravenous protocol
4 daysfor the intrathecal protocol
2visits usually recommended
3–6 mowhen results are usually seen
Who it helps
If one of these is you, keep reading.
"The diagnosis just came in."
Diagnosed within the last year
Early is when people ask the most questions. The neurologist decides, case by case, whether the intrathecal route fits you.
"I'm asking for my father."
A family member looking for options
You are gathering reports and looking for clear, trustworthy information. Send what you have and the medical team answers you directly.
"I want a straight answer, not a sales pitch."
You've read too many miracle stories
Good. This page shows you what the research supports, study by study, and a neurologist reviews your case before anything is booked.
"Traveling is hard."
Limited mobility or a caregiver who comes along
Your hotel and the treatment center share the same building, so the days are short and there are no long transfers.
What the cells do
What the cells may do in a nervous system under strain
In neurodegenerative conditions, nerve cells are lost slowly, and long-lasting inflammation is part of that process. Mesenchymal stem cells work mostly through the signals they release.
Calming inflammation
The cells release signals that may quiet the immune cells of the brain and spinal cord when they stay switched on for too long. Less of that background inflammation is one way researchers hope to slow how fast damage builds up.
Growth-factor support
The cells produce neurotrophic factors: natural proteins that help nerve cells survive and keep working. The aim is to protect the nerve cells you have.
Protecting the cells still at work
Mesenchymal stem cells are studied for signals that may help nerve cells that are still working survive under stress, alongside their effect on inflammation.
Two ways to reach the nervous system
Given intravenously, the cells and their signals travel through the whole body. Given intrathecally, into the fluid around the spinal cord, they are placed closer to the nervous system; the neurologist decides whether it fits you.
What patients hope to change
- A slower pace of change, as measured by your own neurologist
- More energy for the day-to-day
- Steadier movement, speech or swallowing, depending on the condition
- More good days between the hard ones
- More time doing the things that still matter to you
These effects come from laboratory and human studies, and they point to one goal: protecting the nerve cells you have and helping slow the progression.
Clear words
What cells may do. How the medical team cares for you.
Neurodegenerative conditions deserve clear words. Here they are.
May
- Help calm inflammation in the nervous system
- Support the tissue that is still working
- Try to slow the degeneration and the progression
The medical team
- Has a neurologist review every case first
- Designs your protocol, IV or intrathecal, for you
- Follows up with you online after you fly home
What the evidence says
What the research shows so far
Every study shown here was checked on PubMed. Here is what they found.
Across many trials of cell therapies in neurodegenerative conditions, serious side effects were uncommon.
Systematic review with meta-analysis of 71 clinical studies of different cell types, including mesenchymal stem cells, in conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The authors call the results promising.
Are Cell-Based Therapies Safe and Effective in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. · Biomolecules, 2022 ↗Wharton's jelly stem cells, given intravenously or intrathecally, were safe in a small group of people with ALS.
Phase I study of 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), half by each route, two doses three months apart. Some patients reported improvements in swallowing, speech and muscle strength.
Intravenous vs intrathecal transplantation of allogeneic GMP/GCP compliant Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells in ALS patients: a phase I study. · Neurodegenerative Disease Management, 2025 ↗In ALS, people who received Wharton's jelly stem cells into the spinal fluid lived longer than closely matched patients from earlier ALS trials, and some showed slower progression.
Case-control study in Poland, 67 people with ALS who received three intrathecal injections of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells two months apart, compared with 67 matched patients from an international ALS trial database. No serious adverse reactions were observed.
Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: an Original Study. · Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2020 ↗In short: Human studies consistently show the cells are well tolerated, and studies with Wharton’s jelly cells in ALS show encouraging signals, including longer survival than matched patients. A neurologist reviews every case and explains what you can expect.
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.
Neurodegenerative · 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 reviews every case first.
Before you book anything, Dr. Zaida Cabezas, neurologist, reviews your diagnosis and reports in an online consultation and tells you whether you are a candidate, and for which route. If the intrathecal route is right for you, Dr. Diana Reyes, anesthesiologist and pain specialist, performs the application in the operating room. The team follows up with you online after you fly home.
Questions
Your questions, answered.
Am I a candidate?
A neurologist reviews your diagnosis, your reports and your recent blood work. Send what you have on WhatsApp, and you get a clear answer and a plan designed for you.
What do the cells actually do in a neurodegenerative condition?
They release signals that may help calm inflammation in the nervous system and support the nerve cells that are still working. The aim is to protect the nerve cells you have and help slow the progression.
IV or intrathecal: which one is for me?
Most patients receive the intravenous protocol, over three days. The intrathecal route, into the fluid around the spinal cord, takes four days, and the neurologist decides, case by case, whether it fits you. The neurologist confirms which one fits you.
When could I notice a change?
Results are usually seen between 3 and 6 months after the protocol. Change is gradual, and the goal is a slower pace of the condition, measured by your own neurologist.
How many visits will I need?
Two visits are usually recommended, the second 6 to 8 weeks after the first. The neurologist tells you whether a second one makes sense for you and when.
What tests do you need?
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, plus your neurology reports and imaging. Every protocol also includes cancer markers on day one.
Do I stop my current medication?
No, never on your own. This is designed to go alongside the care you already receive. The neurologist reviews your medication in your consultation and tells you exactly what to do.
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 general health, 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. The intravenous infusion runs slowly, over three hours or more, with a physician present, and the intrathecal application is done in a fully equipped operating room. Afterwards you rest at the hotel, one elevator away, with your coordinator checking on you.
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 protocol, over three days, 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 the diagnosis and the reports.
Your coordinator arranges the evaluation with the neurologist, and you get a clear answer and a plan designed for you.