Every question we actually get.

MSCs are adult stem cells found in bone marrow, umbilical cord tissue, and fat. They don't turn into cartilage or muscle themselves, their job is repair coordination. When delivered into inflamed or degenerating tissue, they release signals that calm inflammation, recruit local repair cells, and modulate immune activity.

We use them because they're one of the few therapies that addresses why a tissue is failing, not just the symptoms.

Screened umbilical-cord tissue donated after full-term healthy births, rigorously screened for infectious disease and genetic markers. Cells are expanded in our ISO-7 cGMP laboratory at Hospital Angeles and preserved using proprietary cryopreservation.

We do not use embryonic cells. Cells are allogeneic, you don't need a harvest procedure yourself.

It depends on your protocol:

• Joint / orthopedic: Direct injection into the joint space under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance.
• IV / systemic: Slow intravenous infusion over approximately 45 minutes, monitored.
• Neurologic / complex: IV with optional intrathecal (spinal) delivery when indicated and approved by your case physician.

Dosing is individualized. Typical ranges: 25–50 million cells per joint injection; 100–300 million cells for systemic IV. Neurologic protocols use similar systemic doses, sometimes split across multiple sessions. Your case physician determines the right dose based on diagnosis, body size, and goals.

No. PRP uses growth factors from your own blood, useful, but passive. Prolotherapy uses sugar solution to provoke local irritation. MSCs are live cells that actively coordinate repair over weeks to months. Many patients try PRP first, find partial relief, then come to us for a more durable response.

No. The cells are not genetically modified. They are expanded under cGMP conditions and returned in their native state, unaltered. Nothing about your own DNA changes.

MSC therapies are still working through U.S. clinical trials, a process that takes years even for treatments with strong evidence. Over 1,000 MSC trials are currently registered globally, but the FDA's cell-therapy pathway is slow by design.

Hospital Angeles is authorized by COFEPRIS, Mexico's federal regulatory body, to administer cell-based therapies in a fully supervised clinical setting. Patients access the treatment now, under physician oversight, rather than waiting another decade for U.S. approval.

COFEPRIS (Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios) is Mexico's federal health-regulatory authority, equivalent in function to the FDA. It licenses clinics, certifies laboratories, and authorizes cell-therapy protocols. Hospital Angeles maintains active COFEPRIS authorization for regenerative medicine.

Most common, mild, and short-lived:

• Low-grade fever or flu-like feeling for 24–48 hours (immune response to the infusion)
• Injection-site soreness for joint delivery
• Transient fatigue or headache

Serious adverse events are rare in our registry. The main risks, infection at the injection site, allergic reaction, pulmonary-embolism risk from IV cell products, are why we require hospital-grade monitoring and only treat in a full hospital setting.

This is the fear that stops many people from researching further, and it's worth taking seriously. MSCs are adult, lineage-restricted cells. They do not form teratomas the way embryonic stem cells can. Long-term follow-up across thousands of published MSC trials has not shown increased tumor rates versus the general population.

That said, we screen every donor for genetic markers and run characterization panels on each batch. We also decline treatment in patients with active, untreated cancer.

No. Hospital Angeles Tijuana is a 116-bed general hospital with surgical, cardiac, oncology, and ICU departments, part of Angeles Health, one of the largest private hospital networks in Mexico. Celva Bio operates inside it. That means when something unexpected happens, you are already inside a hospital, not in a strip-mall clinic.

Every batch is tested for:

• Identity (flow cytometry for MSC surface markers)
• Viability (>85% live cells required for release)
• Sterility (14-day culture, no bacterial or fungal growth)
• Endotoxin (below USP <85> limits)
• Mycoplasma (PCR and culture)

A certificate of analysis travels with your dose. You can ask to see it.

Honest answer: not everyone is. We review your medical history, current condition, imaging, and goals before recommending any path. We turn down a significant share of inquiries. If you're not a fit, we'll say so plainly, and, when possible, point you to what might actually help.

We decline patients with active untreated cancer, active systemic infection, advanced end-stage organ disease, or a structural problem where surgery is clearly the right answer (e.g., a bone-on-bone joint with mechanical locking). We also decline patients whose expectations we can't meet honestly.

We treat adults only (18+). Our typical patient is 40–75. We've treated patients in their 80s who were otherwise healthy; we've declined 55-year-olds who had complicating conditions. Age alone is not a disqualifier, biological health is what we evaluate.

Often, yes, when there's still viable cartilage to work with. Grade 2–3 osteoarthritis tends to respond well. Grade 4 (bone-on-bone) is harder; we'll sometimes treat it for pain and function, but we're honest about the ceiling. If your surgeon has recommended replacement and you're considering a delay, bring your MRI and we'll tell you straight.

Often the opposite. MSCs have strong immunomodulatory effects, and autoimmune conditions (MS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus) are among the indications with the most active clinical research. That said, these cases require a thorough evaluation and often a neurologist or rheumatologist partnering with us. Book a consult; we'll assess carefully.

Celva Bio operates inside Hospital Angeles, a full hospital, not a standalone clinic. Private concierge transport from San Diego, medical fast-pass border crossing, and a team member with you throughout. We don't send patients alone. Zona Urbana Río, where the hospital sits, is the medical-district area of Tijuana, well-trafficked during business hours.

Orthopedic single-dose: One day for knee and shoulder (San Diego → treatment → home). Hip and spine patients stay overnight and travel home the following morning.
IV longevity: One full day; some patients stay overnight for comfort.
Neurologic / complex: Two to five days, depending on protocol.

Most patients fly into San Diego, where we take over.

Yes, a valid U.S. passport or passport card. A REAL-ID driver's license is not sufficient for return entry by air. For land crossing with medical fast-pass, a passport card works.

Hospital Angeles is an enrolled facility in the CBP medical fast-lane program. Our concierge transport uses a dedicated crossing with typical wait times of under 10 minutes, versus 1–3 hours for the general public lane on return. You stay in the vehicle; documents are reviewed at the window.

Most patients prefer San Diego hotels and cross the morning of and morning after treatment. We work with several Marina-district and Hilton Gaslamp properties. For longer protocols, a Tijuana medical-hotel adjacent to Hospital Angeles (Hotel Real Inn) is available. We book whichever you prefer.

Please do. Most patients travel with a spouse, adult child, or close friend. Transport and hospital access accommodates one companion at no extra cost. Two is easy to arrange.

Easy. Fly into San Diego International (SAN); we pick you up. Patients regularly come from Texas, Florida, New York, and internationally. For international patients we can help with travel-concierge referrals; we don't arrange flights directly.

It depends on your protocol:

• Joint pain & surgery avoidance: $10,000 – $25,000
• IV longevity: $15,000 – $40,000+ (varies with dose and number of sessions)
• Neurologic & complex: Priced individually after evaluation

All-inclusive of transport, hospital facility fees, physician time, and aftercare.

No. MSC therapy is not covered by U.S. or international insurance carriers. HSA/FSA funds sometimes apply depending on your plan and how the visit is coded; check with your administrator. We provide detailed receipts for whatever reimbursement pathway you attempt.

Yes, through CareCredit and PatientFi, both U.S. medical-financing lenders. Approval takes a few minutes. Terms are between you and the lender; we don't benefit financially from which option you choose.

We don't guarantee outcomes, no honest medical provider does. We do guarantee a thorough evaluation, a transparent protocol, and a follow-up process. If a protocol doesn't produce a response at 90 days, we discuss options, sometimes that's a second dose, sometimes it's a referral elsewhere, sometimes it's accepting that this wasn't the right path.

Yes. The initial consult, phone or video, 30–45 minutes with a physician, is free and non-obligating. If we decide to move forward, a refundable deposit secures your treatment date.

Most patients notice a shift in the 4–12 week window. A small number feel improvement within 2 weeks. Joint responses tend to accumulate over 3–6 months. IV and neurologic responses are slower to peak but often more enduring.

Variable. Orthopedic responses typically last 2–5 years; some patients have held function at their original level for 7+ years. Systemic IV effects peak over 3–6 months per dose, which is why most IV patients maintain with two to four infusions per year. We track this in our registry and will share the data for your indication on your consult.

It depends on the indication and how we define success. For well-selected orthopedic patients, we see a meaningful clinical response (defined as ≥30% reduction in pain or WOMAC score) in a significant share of well-selected patients at 6 months. Response rates vary by indication; we publish registry figures as they mature. We publish updated registry data on the Proof page.

Many orthopedic patients respond well to a single dose. Systemic conditions (IV longevity, autoimmune) are more commonly treated with two to four follow-up sessions per year. We decide with you based on response at each follow-up, we don't upsell sessions.

Be skeptical of anyone who promises this. We see imaging stabilization (no further loss) and, in some cases, small improvements in cartilage thickness or signal on MRI. We do not claim to rebuild a bone-on-bone joint. The more honest outcome measure is symptom and function improvement.

Yes, at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and annually thereafter. Follow-ups are done by your case physician, not a coordinator. We ask about symptoms, function, and any other changes. Your data goes into our registry (anonymized) to improve what we do.

Rarely. A small percentage of patients report transient flare-ups in the first 1–2 weeks that resolve. Serious adverse outcomes in our registry are extremely uncommon. The more common disappointment is no meaningful change, which is why candidacy review matters.

Most patients return to desk work the next day. Physical jobs, construction, nursing, anything with heavy lifting, we recommend 3–7 days off after joint injection. IV-only protocols have essentially no downtime.

Mostly yes. We ask you to pause NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) and systemic steroids for 2 weeks before and 4 weeks after treatment, they blunt the inflammatory signaling the cells rely on. Acetaminophen is fine. Your other prescriptions we review individually on intake.

Light movement (walking, gentle cycling) from day 3. Structured training from week 2. Impact loading (running, plyometrics) from week 4–6, guided by symptoms. For joint injections we send a progressive loading protocol with your aftercare packet.

Moderate. We recommend avoiding alcohol for 48 hours before and 72 hours after. Chronic heavy use will dampen your response, honestly, so will smoking. If you're investing in this, give the cells a clean environment to work in.

For IV and most orthopedic protocols, yes. We generally clear patients to fly 4+ hours after infusion. For intrathecal (spinal) protocols, we require 24-hour observation before travel. Your physician will tell you what applies to your protocol.

Your case physician, directly. You'll have their number in your aftercare packet, plus a 24/7 clinical line. We answer. If it's an emergency (severe chest pain, shortness of breath, fever over 102°F, signs of infection at the injection site), call local emergency services first, then call us.