Get a free quote

Stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis.

Two different treatments share the name. A stem cell transplant with chemotherapy, done in hospital, halts relapsing MS in most people for years. A mesenchymal cell infusion, which most clinics sell, showed no effect in the largest trials.[1][2]

Get a free quoteCompare clinics

Written by Eli McGarvie.

Clinics that treat multiple sclerosis.

Compare what they treat and what they charge, then get a free quote.

All 11 clinics
ClinicConditionsTreatmentsPrice from
Clínica Ruiz / HSCT MéxicoPuebla, Mexico MSNeuropathyDiabetes Not disclosed Celltex MéxicoCancún, Mexico MSDiabetesArthritisALS MesenchymalIV Not disclosed Dream Body ClinicBucerías, Mexico MSKneeHipShoulder MesenchymalUmbilical cordIVInjections USD 11,500 CellsClinicSan Pedro Garza García, Mexico MSArthritis MesenchymalUmbilical cordExosomes Not disclosed Stem Cell InstitutePanama City, Panama MSAutismArthritisKnee Umbilical cordMesenchymalIV USD 15,890 AuragensPanama City, Panama MSKneeShoulderHip Umbilical cordMesenchymalExosomesIV USD 14,500

A hospital transplant and a clinic infusion are different treatments

Stem cell transplant with chemotherapy (HSCT)

Chemotherapy wipes out the immune system, and your own blood stem cells are returned to rebuild it. It has randomised evidence for relapsing MS that keeps flaring despite drugs.[1] It is a month-long hospital procedure, and US insurers sometimes cover it.[3]

Mesenchymal or cord cell infusion

Cells given through a drip or into the spinal fluid, with no chemotherapy. This is what most regenerative clinics sell, and it does not rebuild the immune system.[2][4]

What to expect

The transplant

Patients describe the same order: a line fitted, injections to push stem cells into the blood, a harvest, then high-dose chemotherapy and the cells returned. Hospital stays run from about two and a half weeks to a month, followed by weeks staying near the hospital.[3]

A clinic infusion

Outpatient drips, sometimes with a spinal injection. Clinics told patients to expect nothing for two to six months.[3]

Who it suits, and who it doesn't

The transplant works best in younger people with relapsing MS and active inflammation.[5][6] The National MS Society names people under 50 with MS for under ten years as the best candidates.[7]

Risks

The transplant can kill: about 2% of patients die from it, mostly from infection or heart and lung failure.[8][9] Patients also report hair loss, infections, early menopause and thyroid problems.[3] Spinal injection of mesenchymal cells has been linked to inflammation around the spinal cord and lasting pain,[10][11] and one US patient developed meningitis after spinal injections in Mexico.[12]

The transplant works for relapsing MS; clinic infusions do not

Does it work? The chemotherapy transplant halts relapsing MS in most people for years, but not progressive MS without active inflammation.[1][5] A mesenchymal cell infusion alone showed no effect in the largest trials.[2][4]

3 vs 34patients of 55 in each group got worse over about two years: transplant against best available drugsMIST randomised trial, 110 people with relapsing MS[1]
No effecton brain inflammation from a single mesenchymal cell infusionMESEMS randomised trial, 144 people[2]
No changein disability across the three placebo-controlled mesenchymal cell trials in progressive MSPooled review, 2026[4]
2 of 11patients who had clinic stem cells without chemotherapy and reported back online described a lasting benefitOur review of patient accounts on Reddit and forums[3]

Where it is allowed

United States. No stem cell product is approved for MS.[13] The transplant is done in US hospitals as a medical procedure using your own cells.[14]

Malaysia. The transplant is treated as a medical procedure. Lab-grown and cord products must be registered.[15]

Mexico. COFEPRIS has said stem cell treatments lack authorisation.[16] Mexico also runs the world's largest self-pay transplant programme for MS.[17]

Specialists. European MS and transplant societies accept the transplant for aggressive relapsing MS after high-efficacy drugs fail.[18]

Common questions

Does stem cell treatment cure MS?

No. The transplant stops new inflammation in most people for several years, but nothing reverses damage already done.[8][19]

Will it get me out of a wheelchair?

Unlikely. Disability improved in 20% to 35% of transplant patients, mostly young people with relapsing MS and low disability.[19][20]

Does injecting into the spine work better?

Pooled data favour spinal over drip delivery of mesenchymal cells by too little to matter to patients.[21]

Questions to ask a clinic

  1. Is this a transplant with chemotherapy, or cells alone?
  2. Is my MS relapsing with active lesions, or progressive?
  3. What is your treatment-related death rate, and how many patients have you treated?
  4. Which chemotherapy protocol do you use, and why?
  5. How long must I stay near the hospital afterwards?
  6. Who manages my care when I get home?

Sources

21 references
  1. Burt RK, et al. Effect of Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation vs Continued Disease-Modifying Therapy on Disease Progression in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 2019. Link
  2. Uccelli A, et al. Safety, tolerability, and activity of mesenchymal stem cells versus placebo in multiple sclerosis (MESEMS): a phase 2, randomised, double-blind crossover trial. The Lancet. Neurology, 2021. Link
  3. StemFinder review of first-hand patient accounts on Reddit and patient forums, 2026. Method
  4. Guo H, et al. Efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for progressive multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with clinical implications for patient stratification and treatment optimization. Frontiers in Immunology, 2026. Link
  5. Braun B, et al. Exploring the therapeutic potential of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in progressive multiple sclerosis-a systematic review. European Journal of Neurology, 2024. Link
  6. Muraro PA, et al. Long-term Outcomes After Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA neurology, 2017. Link
  7. Miller AE, et al. Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Multiple Sclerosis: Recommendations of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. JAMA neurology, 2021. Link
  8. Sormani MP, et al. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis: A meta-analysis. Neurology, 2017. Link
  9. Nicholas RS, et al. Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Active Multiple Sclerosis: A Real-world Case Series. Neurology, 2021. Link
  10. Kvistad CE, et al. Intrathecal Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial (SMART-MS). Neurology, 2026. Link
  11. Cohen JA, et al. Evaluation of neurotrophic factor secreting mesenchymal stem cells in progressive multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England), 2023. Link
  12. Wolf AB, et al. Mycobacterium abscessus Meningitis Associated with Stem Cell Treatment During Medical Tourism. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2023. Link
  13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 2026. Link
  14. Cohen JA, et al. Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Treatment-Refractory Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Position Statement from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 2019. Link
  15. 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
  16. Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS). La COFEPRIS suspendió clínica del D.F. que ofrecía tratamientos con Células Madre sin aval científico. Gobierno de México, COFEPRIS (press release), 2015. Link
  17. Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna. Outpatient Hematopoietic Grafting in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Employing Autologous Non-cryopreserved Peripheral Blood Stem Cells: A Feasibility Study. ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2023. Link
  18. Muraro PA, et al. Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT. Nature Reviews. Neurology, 2025. Link
  19. Muraro PA, et al. Real-world effectiveness of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis in the UK. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 2026. Link
  20. Atkins HL, et al. Immunoablation and autologous haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation for aggressive multiple sclerosis: a multicentre single-group phase 2 trial. Lancet (London, England), 2016. Link
  21. Vaheb S, et al. 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. Link

More brain and nerve conditions.

All 18 conditions
AutismNeuropathyParkinson'sSpinal cord injuryALS

Get a free quote
for multiple sclerosis treatment.

Tell us what you want treated and when you want to go. We put you in touch with the clinic you choose.

Get a free quote