Your top concerns addressed. Dive into our most commonly asked questions to learn more about our best stem cell therapies, processes, and patient care.
What kind of stem cells do you use and how are they collected?
We use adult allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells; these are derived from Wharton Jelly from donated umbilical cords. Our stem cells derive from umbilical cords that come from healthy donors, which are donated for this purpose after they deliver. These donors complete an extensive questionnaire, and they are screened for HIV, Hep B, Hep C and other diseases.
What kind of testing do you perform on your donated umbilical cords?
Our umbilical cords derive from healthy donors who deliver in Panama City, and prior to this process they complete a questionnaire, they are screened for HIIV, Hep B, Hep C and other infectious diseases. Our umbilical cords also undergo this extensive testing before being used in the lab. Once our cells are expanded and processed, we perform a third testing: sterility and microbial testing to batch of vials produced and prior to injection we perform endotoxin testing.
How do your treatments or protocols differ from other stem cell clinics?
We offer personalized protocols, customized to patients’ needs and physical condition. We have a state-of-the-art clinic and laboratory that provides boutique service to our patients. All our protocols include a thorough medical evaluation followed by an IV with vitamins and/or Meyer’s Cocktail detox IV to provide the best possible environment for the cells that will be transplanted. This makes us different from other stem cell clinics.
Are mesenchymal stem cells approved by the FDA?
MSCs have been approved for use in the European Union, Australia and there are currently hundreds of clinical trials worldwide for the use of MSC therapies for various conditions. MSC therapies, however, have not been FDA-approved for treatment yet in the US.
How are stem cells administered?
Stem Cells are injected via IV in most of our protocols. In cases that a specific joint needs to be treated this will include an intraarticular injection performed by an orthopedist.
What my protocol will look like?
Our protocols and number of cells are customized to the patient’s needs and in some cases according to the patient’s weight. After you complete the patient application form our medical team will review your application and we will get in touch with the proposed protocol. Most of our protocols have a duration of 3-7 working days and your stay in Panama will be max 10 days.
Are there any side effects?
Side effects can include pain on the injection site and in very few cases some patients experience headache, nausea, fatigue. Most of these symptoms resolve within 24 hours and you are ok to fly back home.
To the date there are no documented long term side effects due to the use of mesenchymal stem cells
How long does the treatment take?
Each appointment at the clinic takes approximately one hour between meeting with the medical team and getting ready for IV and getting the IV injections. After this you can resume your daily activities and or go sightseeing if you are feeling up to it.
What are the costs of the treatment and what is included?
Our treatment costs vary from $10,000 to $30,000 USD depending on protocol, this includes all airport transportation, bloodwork, IVs and Stem Cell Infusions
This treatments are not covered by local or international insurance and we do not provide financing.
How many cells normally are used for treatment?
The number of cells that your protocol will include will be evaluated by the medical team and in some instances this number is related to your weight.
Are there risks of tumors or immune rejections with MSCs?
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can differentiate into many cell types, including bone, fat, cartilage, muscle, and skin.
These are different from pluripotent stem cells which are the ones that have been associated risks of immune rejection and teratoma formation.
References
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
References
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Sivandzade, F., & Cucullo, L. (2021). Regenerative stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases: An overview. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 2153. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22042153
Shen, Z., Huang, W., Liu, J., Tian, J., Wang, S., & Rui, K. (2021c). Effects of mesenchymal stem Cell-Derived exosomes on autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.749192
Rheumatoid arthritis
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Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Jafarzadeh Bejargafshe, M., Hedayati, M., Zahabiasli, S., Tahmasbpour,E.,Rahmanzadeh,S., & Nejad-Moghaddam, A. (2019). Safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy for treatment of neural damage in patients with multiple sclerosis. Stem Cell Investigation, 6, 44. https://doi.org/10.21037/sci.2019.10.06
Masrori, P., & Van Damme, P. (2020). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical review. European Journal of Neurology, 27(10), 1918–1929. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.14393
Sivandzade, F., & Cucullo, L. (2021). Regenerative stem cell therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases: An Overview. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 2153. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22042153
IBD Inflammatory bowel disease
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Ko, J. Z., Johnson, S., & Dave, M. (2021c). Efficacy and Safety of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal cell therapy for inflammatory bowel Diseases: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review. Biomolecules, 11(1), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11010082
Systemic vasculitis
References
Shen, Z., Huang, W., Liu, J., Tian, J., Wang, S., & Rui, K. (2021e). Effects of mesenchymal stem Cell-Derived exosomes on autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.749192
Liu, Y., Yan, L. M., Wan, L., Xiang, T. X., Le, A., Liu, J. M., … & Zhang, W. (2020). Viral dynamics in mild and severe cases of COVID-19. Cell & Bioscience, 10(1), 1-7. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41419-020-2542-9
Angina/Coronary Heart Disease
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Yun, C. W., & Lee, S. Y. (2019). Enhancement of functionality and therapeutic efficacy of Cell-Based therapy using mesenchymal stem cells for cardiovascular disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(4), 982. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20040982
Xiong, Y., Gong, Z., Tang, R., & Yang, Y. (2021). The pivotal roles of exosomes derived from endogenous immune cells and exogenous stem cells in myocardial repair after acute myocardial infarction. Theranostics, 11(3), 1046–1058. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.53326
Cushing, K., & Higgins, P. D. R. (2021). Management of Crohn disease: A review: A review. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 325(1), 69-80. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.18936
Wang, R., Yao, Q., Chen, W., Gao, F., Li, P., Wu, J., Yu, J., & Cao, H. (2021). Stem cell therapy for Crohn’s disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical and clinical studies. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-021-02533-0
Ulcerative Colitis
References
Gajendran, M., Loganathan, P., Jimenez, G., Catinella, A. P., Ng, N., Umapathy, C., Ziade, N., & Hashash, J. G. (2019). A comprehensive review and update on ulcerative colitis. Disease-a-Month: DM, 65(12), 100851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.disamonth.2019.02.004
Hosseini-Asl, S.-K., Mehrabani, D., & Karimi-Busheri, F. (2020). Therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells in ulcerative colitis: A review on achievements and challenges. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(12), 3922. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9123922
Neurological conditions
References
Guy, R., & Offen, D. (2020). Promising opportunities for treating neurodegenerative diseases with mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes. Biomolecules, 10(9), 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10091320
Barthels, D., & Das, H. (2020). Current advances in ischemic stroke research and therapies. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Molecular Basis of Disease, 1866(4), 165260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.09.012
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Kawabori, M., Shichinohe, H., Kuroda, S., & Houkin, K. (2020). Clinical trials of stem cell therapy for cerebral ischemic stroke. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(19), 7380. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21197380
Parkinson’s
References
Pradhan, A. U., Uwishema, O., Onyeaka, H., Adanur, I., & Dost, B. (2022). A review of stem cell therapy: An emerging treatment for dementia in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Brain and Behavior, 12(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2740
Multiple system atrophy (MSA)
References
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Khellaf A, Khan DZ, Helmy A. Recent advances in traumatic brain injury. J Neurol. 2019 Nov;266(11):2878-2889. doi: 10.1007/s00415-019-09541-4. Epub 2019 Sep 28. PMID: 31563989; PMCID: PMC6803592.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
References
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Spinal cord injury
References
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Cofano, F., Boido, M., Monticelli, M., Zenga, F., Ducati, A., Vercelli, A., & Garbossa, D. (2019). Mesenchymal stem cells for spinal cord injury: Current options, limitations, and future of cell therapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(11), 2698. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112698
Looi, Q. H., Eng, S. P., Liau, L. L., Tor, Y. S., Bajuri, M. Y., Ng, M. H., & Law, J. X. (2020). Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for sports injuries – from research to clinical practice. Sains malaysiana, 49(4), 825-838. https://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4904-12
Arthritis & Osteoarthritis
References
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