Treatments & Prices
Cellular Therapy
Adult stem cells are obtained from sources, including bone marrow, cord blood, peripheral blood and others. Because of their properties, each one has particular advantages and disadvantages.
Once the cells are obtained, they can be manipulated and quantified to be implanted in the patient. Contamination and damage of natural cell function may increase with too much manipulation. The possibility of rejection and severe complications post-treatment increases substancially if the stem cell donor is different than the patient to be treated, such as a Graft-Versus-Host-Disease.
Stem cell therapy regenerates cells and specific organs that could be affected by some disease, disorder or degenerative disease. According to several studies, these stem cells have the ability to differentiate into other types of cells (cardiac cells, bone/cartilage, liver cells, nerve, etc.). In addition, this stem cells have the chemical ability to detect damaged tissues, home those tissues, and directly to repair them. This kind of therapy helps to increase the tissue's functionality, resulting in a considerable improvement of a person’s medical condition.
Many patients have improved their conditions with these therapies even where other treatments have failed to work. Other patients are simply interested in keeping their body systems and organs in optimal conditions.
Due to the stem cell research hype all over the world, we recommend you gather as much information as possible in order to get to the right people and to the correct treatment. There are clinics in wich the stem cells are obtained from an unknown donor source and the risks involved could be very high. Progencell only uses stem cells directly from the patient in order to do autologous treatments. There is no risk of rejection or complications with infusions or extrations on the infusion or on the extraction.
Diseases
Each body behaves and react differently to treatments. That is why there is no general procedure for all patients. Nonetheless, below we have displayed the conditions with the best results for improvment. We will be adding more conditions to this page as time passes by.
It is necessary to consider that most of the diseases treated are degenerative; this implies that when a disease is not treated with time, the condition tends to get worse. Relatively, obtaining a long time remission is considered a great improvement. To recover health in some degree becomes a high level of success.
Conditions with the best results for improvement are:
INMUNOLOGICAL DISEASES
o Rheumatoid Arthritis
o Systemic Lupus
o Fibromyalgia
o Psoriatic Arthritis
o Sjögren Syndrome
o Asthma
METABOLIC DISEASES
o Diabetes Mellitus
o Cardiac Insufficiency
o Hepatic Insufficiency
o Renal Insufficiency
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
o Multiple Sclerosis
o Parkinson's disease
o Amyothropic Lateral Sclerosis
o Alzheimer's disease
OPHTHALMIC DISEASES
o Maculopathy
o Diabetic Retinopathy
o Optic Nerve Atrophy
o Central Retinal Vascular Occlusion
Optimistic appearance of cell therapy is not true for all patients. Cases vary in recovery rate and recovery time. Many patients have obtained up to a 90% recovery. There are others in which no substantial regeneration of tissue was shown. However, in most cases studied Progencell therapy brought the patient to remission, stopping or slowing the development of the disease.
Therapy PotentialPerforming therapies with autologous cells, without manipulation gives the body an opportunity to recover its health & vigor using natural agents.
Patient Steps
Progencell's procedures are scientifically designed and professionally followed; we have one goal in mind: substantial health improvement of the patient with simple logistics.
We do not suggest that patients substitute their current medical doctor or abandon current treatments. Since this is a long term treatment, if necessary that your current medical doctor continues to follow up on your case.
Step one:
Information: Our medical experts study your case, your current condition as well as your health history. After a full evaluation it is decided whether or not you are a candidate for cell therapy. A multidisciplinary medical committee studies your case and honestly consider your improvement potential.
After yor case is evaluated, a Progencell staff member will contact you regarding your particular case, treatment and potential and to answer. We also answer any question you may have about the procedure or the requirements to make it happen.
Step two:
Plan: Once you have consented, we can begin developing your treatment plan. Because of Progencell's high demand, it is necessary to make an appointment for the procedure at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Exceptions can be made when the condition of the patient requires urgent care.
Step three:
Conditioning and treatment: When your procedure date is scheduled, we will assign you an agent that will become your personal assistant related to our treatment. This assistant will be able to help you with administrative tasks, logistics, planning your stay, communication with the medical staff, etc. Your personal agent will provide you the proper documentation to complete your medical records and will explain the informed consent. In short, we will coordinate all that's necessary for a practical and easy stay with Progencell. The complete treatment – from beginning to end- will take from 3 to 6 hours, depending on the case. During your recovery time you will have access to a telephone, TV and internet.
Depending on your situation, your personal agent can coordinate transportation from nearby airports, and, if necessary, quick border crossing, accommodations, special meals, companionship, entertainment, etc.
Two weeks before the procedure date, your agent will provide suggestions to prepare your body for treatment. These suggestions will include steps to optimize bone marrow stem cell generation and reception of them in your body. Often these recommendations are related to eating and physical habits.
Your agent will be your host during your treatment at Progencell. Their activities could include the following:
- Airport pick up.
- Local transportation (for example: Airport-hotel-Progencell)
- Logistic Coordinator
- Companionship if necessary
- Translator
- Special activities
- Contact person 24 hours
Methodology of the procedure
The stages of Progencell's cell therapy:
Here is a brief description of the procedure (only for reference purposes). Before your own procedure takes place, we will provide you with detailed information of each one of the stages. Progencell uses a total quality philosophy, based on international standards of quality in all processes.
Preparation
Upon your arrival at Progencell, you will be greeted and attended to by our qualified personnel. You will be evaluated by a doctor who will answer any questions you may have, review your medical record, as well as any recent lab work performed in the last weeks. Soon after, you will be taken into an exam room for a complete check up and to record your vital signs. You will be guided to a dressing room to change into a sterile gown (your personal effects are secured). All the following processes are strictly followed under Good Manufacturing Procedures standards (GMP).
You will be conscious throughout the entire procedure, and you will be able to observe the sterile materials being used.
Procedure
The doctor will desinfect the area for bone marrow extraction and anesthetize the area with a small injection. Once the area has been anaesthetized the bone marrow extraction begins. During the extraction you will NOT feel pain. The extraction generally takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Once complete, the doctor will start preparing the bone marrow by activating the stem cells in a closed system (avoiding any contamination). The serum canalization will be replaced with the bone marrow infusion; this process takes 15 to 20 minutes. The doctor will take a minimum amount of bone marrow in order to make a target cell count in the laboratory and, if needed, will take another small amount to do one or several injections in other parts of the body depending on the expected tissues to be regenerated. Special injections of stem cells are intended to have direct placement close to related tissues to maximize tissue recovery. Examples of injections are lumbar injection or lymphatic injection, among others.
You will not feel any pain throughout the entire procedure. You will only feel manipulations in the area of sample taking and in the transfusion as well. During the following 3 to 5 days, you will feel a little bruised in the area of stem cell extraction. The discomfort is tolerable nonetheless, pain killers can be administered if desired.
Post-procedure
After the transfusion, you will be taken to a patient recovery area where you will be constantly monitored. Some easily digestible foods and liquids will be provided. Usually, you will be able to go home a few hours after the procedure takes place.
A meeting with the doctor will conclude the procedure in order to respond to any questions and to indicate what to expect in the following weeks. Suggestions for your optimal health recovery will be shared. The doctor will provide a prescription if needed and a 24/7 phone number for patient care assistance.
In the next few days and weeks, we will keep constant comunication with you in order to keep track of your progress and to assist you along the way. All of the monitored processes are strictly followed under the Good Manufacturing Procedure Standards (GMP).
Cell therapy limitations
Cell therapy is not a solution to all existing health problems.
Each person reacts differently; the main purpose of this procedure is to give tools to the body and create ideal conditions to generate damaged tissue by itself. Past experiences and procedures show a great improvement in the majority of patients while other patients may not show substantial improvement.
There are 2 big limitations to cell therapy.
If stem cell production in the bone marrow is low, then the amount of cells harvested is limited causing a poor transfusion with a low number of cells. Even though cells have the chemical capacity to detect damaged tissue, there might be a physical obstruction (like a blocked artery) that will not allow these stem cells to "travel" to damaged areas. If the cause of the obstruction is not eradicated, there will be poor, slow, or no tissue regeneration.
The second obstacle is related to lack of medical knowledge in regards to cancer. Adding progenitor cells could have a possible negative effect in the body through an acceleration of tumor growth. Therefore, cell therapy for cancer conditions, nowadays, requires greater knowledge and studies. At this time our therapy is limited to diseases other than cancer.
Quality of stem cells is extremely important. Older patients have less capability for stem cell production in the bone marrow than younger patients. Patients older than 74 years have less probability of producing a high level of stem cells.
Safety and risks
We have had NO negative effects with any of our patients from any of our performed procedures.
This is due to the following reasons:
- Appropriate facilities for this procedure.
- Treatments take place in a clean room with all characteristics of a sterile operating room.
- Entrance to this area requires clean transfers allowing the procedure to be free of external contamination.
- Progencell always extracts the stem cells for the procedure directly from the patient (autologous).
- This practice avoids complications of Graft-Versus-Host-Disease and many other indirect effects.
- Since it is directly from the patient, there is no risk.
- Progencell does not manipulate the cells.
- Other companies have had problems growing tumors and infections because of manipulation of the stem cells—this occurs when culturing stem cells components and manipulating them in order to get purified stem cells.
- From moment of collection, until they are infused, Progencell’s stem cells always remain in a closed system, even during activation.
- There is NO manipulation, culture, or substantial time between the harvesting and transfusion.
- At Progencell, embryonic stem cells are not used, avoiding the ethical issues that they entail.
- The future clinical use of embryonic stem cells is still uncertain since they have an amplified effect, uncontrolled differentiation and accelerated growth, that could generate tumors.
- These characteristics give stem cells of bone marrow a much more promising future for regenerative medicine.
- Patients of Progencell can rest assured that because embryonic stem cells are not used, there is no risk of generating tumors.
- In our experience, the worst case scenario is one where our treatment does not have any positive effect on the patient.
- It might not regenerate tissue for some patients but we assure that it will NOT have any harmful effect.
- It will NOT harm the patient.
- The treatment is safe for your health.
- Nonetheless, the fact that it is not harmful is not enough for Progencell; our main goal is improving your medical condition as well as our patients' quality of life.
Please Click here to request more information from Progencell.
Testimonials
Kidney Insufficiency -- Celine
I started with my first procedure couple of weeks ago. I have lack of function in one of my kidneys and I thought that stem cell therapy could improve my condition. The staff was incredibly kind with me. The place besides being immaculate, it is so beautiful. My entire experience was extremely pleasant. I was very excited since I first heard about this technique because I thought I was out of options for my health status, however the doctors helped me in clarifying all my questions and together with some research that I did I thought it was worth it give it a shot!. The procedure it self was really fast, and the recovery extremely easy. I took a pain killer, one pain killer on the first day, and the rest of the time the discomfort was very tolerable. Other then that everything great!... Not even a scar.
As far as the results, it's a bit early to start feeling them, but my renal flow appears to be improving. I can now only give time to time and continue with my treatment with lots of hope.
For some time I have experienced numbness in different parts of the body and the doctors never knew I had, saying that "ansidad and nerves" that the spine, back and how I started I was Decadron pills and calm down (drug) that passed most of my time. But in December 2008 was very bad, without feeling any the right side of my body, and the next week around the left side of my body, and the following again the right side again, horrible, numbness of my hands, feet, neck, head, looked twice, or the same thing twice, so I was hospitalized, I studies did esclerois and I was diagnosed with Multiple I showed a lot of cortisone and that helped me improve and to see again but I am usually very tired, without forces, a weariness of doing nothing, with difficulty sleeping, anxiety, depression, and I recommended stem cell treatment and I have Progencell because once this thing differently, he spent one months I'm someone else, I have many strengths, I have no fatigue, I have no numbness anywhere, I see perfectly, and can say that I never feel as well. The treatment lasted five minutes, I had a very mild trouble of a minute and left foot perfectly without any kind of pain, improvement started a week and today, at four weeks I would do as I say. If I feel like that once I imagine how it is next time.
Without thinking any more I can recommend
widely.
Thank you,
Mago.
Espondilitis Anquilosante - Ana
my experience with the treatment was excellent, because before this my hip and back pains were very stiff which made me not do my normal life, and now with the treatment I have a normal life without pain. Being at your service for any questions regarding my condition of spondylitis anquilisante.
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