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Stem cell therapy for COPD.

Clinics give cells by drip to people with COPD and emphysema, sold as a way to repair the lungs. In the only placebo-controlled trial, breathing, quality of life and flare-ups did not improve.[1]

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Written by Eli McGarvie.

Clinics that treat COPD.

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ClinicConditionsTreatmentsPrice from
Celltex MéxicoCancún, Mexico COPDMSDiabetesArthritis MesenchymalIV Not disclosed Dream Body ClinicBucerías, Mexico COPDKneeHipShoulder MesenchymalUmbilical cordIVInjections USD 1,750 AuragensPanama City, Panama COPDKneeShoulderHip Umbilical cordMesenchymalExosomesIV USD 14,500 BioGenesis Regenerative CenterPanama City, Panama COPDArthritisMSDiabetes Umbilical cordMesenchymalExosomesIV USD 12,000 Miracle Regenerative CenterBangkok, Thailand COPDKneeShoulderHip MesenchymalExosomesIVInjections Not disclosed

What to expect

The procedure

Patients most often describe blood drawn, spun and dripped back the same day, repeated over two or three days. A bone marrow or fat harvest is sold as the dearer option.[2]

How many sessions

The one placebo-controlled trial gave four monthly drips.[1] Clinics told patients one course is not enough and sold boosters.[2]

When it works, and how long it lasts

Patients were told to expect a change at three to six months. Most who reported at that point had nothing to report yet, and some said a gain wore off.[2]

Risks

In regulated lung studies, serious side effects caused by the cells were not seen across 23 studies, though one patient had a severe allergic reaction during a second drip.[3][4] Growing your own cells can fail: in one study 2 of 10 patients never received any.[5]

No better than placebo in the only controlled trial

Does it work? After 15 years of studies, cell treatment has never improved lung function against a placebo. It has not been shown to repair or regrow lung tissue in people.[1][6][7]

No differencefrom placebo in breathing tests, quality of life or flare-ups over two yearsRandomised trial, 62 people, four monthly infusions[1]
71 mLaverage change in lung capacity (FEV1), not statistically significant, and no fewer hospital admissionsPooled review, 11 studies, 371 people[6]
900+patients treated at one US company's Tampa clinic, now the subject of a certified class action over claims it would regrow lung tissueFlorida court order, 2020[8]
5 of 18patients who paid for treatment and reported online described a clear improvement. 6 said it did nothing or made them worse.Our review of patient accounts on Reddit and forums[2]

Where it is allowed

United States. The FDA says no regenerative product is approved for emphysema or COPD.[9]

Malaysia. Cultured or donor cells need a trial authorisation or full registration, and none is approved for lung disease.[10]

Mexico. COFEPRIS has said stem cell treatments lack authorisation.[11]

Specialists. The 2026 GOLD report, the global standard for COPD care, does not mention stem cells.[12] The American Thoracic Society warns patients against unproven stem cell treatments for lung disease.[13]

Common questions

Will it regrow my lungs?

Lung regrowth has been shown in animals, not in people.[7][14]

Should I have it instead of rehabilitation?

No. Pulmonary rehabilitation after a hospital stay reduced deaths and readmissions across 13 randomised trials. Cell therapy has no data on survival.[12][6]

Does it work for pulmonary fibrosis?

One 20-person trial found lung capacity rose with cells and fell with placebo over a year. Every other study had no comparison group.[15][16]

Questions to ask a clinic

  1. Is a lung specialist involved, and who is the doctor on site?
  2. Is it my own blood, bone marrow, fat or donor cells?
  3. What do you measure before and after: breathing tests, or an oximeter?
  4. How many courses will I need, and what does each cost?
  5. Can I keep up pulmonary rehab and my inhalers?
  6. Will this affect a lung transplant assessment?

Sources

16 references
  1. Weiss DJ, et al. A placebo-controlled, randomized trial of mesenchymal stem cells in COPD. Chest, 2013. Link
  2. StemFinder review of first-hand patient accounts on Reddit and patient forums, 2026. Method
  3. Zhao R, et al. Serious adverse events of cell therapy for respiratory diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget, 2017. Link
  4. Thangakunam B, et al. Mesenchymal stromal stem cell therapy in advanced interstitial lung disease - Anaphylaxis and short-term follow-up. Lung India, 2015. Link
  5. Stolk J, et al. A phase I study for intravenous autologous mesenchymal stromal cell administration to patients with severe emphysema. QJM, 2016. Link
  6. Calzetta L, et al. Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Therapy and Derived Products in COPD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cells, 2022. Link
  7. Liu X, et al. Preclinical Studies of Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) Administration in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 2016. Link
  8. Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit for Hillsborough County, Florida. Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification, Rivero and Mazza v. Lung Institute, LLC, Case No. 16-CA-007765, Division F (filed May 22, 2020). 2020. Link
  9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes. 2024. Link
  10. National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Guidance Document and Guidelines for Registration of Cell and Gene Therapy Products (CGTPs) in Malaysia, Second Edition (September 2025). 2025. Link
  11. Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios. La COFEPRIS suspendio clinica del D.F. que ofrecia tratamientos con Celulas Madre sin aval cientifico. Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios, Secretaria de Salud, Gobierno de Mexico, 2015. Link
  12. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2026 Report), version 1.3. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, Inc., 2025. Link
  13. Ikonomou L, et al. Unproven Stem Cell Treatments for Lung Disease-An Emerging Public Health Problem. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2017. Link
  14. Glassberg MK, et al. Stem Cell Therapy for COPD: Hope and Exploitation. Chest, 2021. Link
  15. Averyanov A, et al. First-in-human high-cumulative-dose stem cell therapy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with rapid lung function decline. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 2020. Link
  16. Glassberg MK, et al. Allogeneic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis via Intravenous Delivery (AETHER): A Phase I Safety Clinical Trial. Chest, 2017. Link

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