Stem Cell Therapy in Mexico for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

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Our Aim is to Make Stem Cells Therapy Affordable, Accessible, and Effective

Stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Mexico brings a new lease of life for those suffering from this debilitating neurogenerative disorder. MTC has collaborated with GIOSTAR, a global leader in the field to make stem cell treatment in Mexico more accessible. Stem cells have the potential to slow down the progression of ALS. ¹  

Why Us for Stem Cell Treatment in Mexico for ALS?

Stem Cell Protocols Unique to Individual Cases

We offer personalized stem cell protocols made up of 3-4 applications on an average as part of an entire therapy instead of doing single applications and then waiting for results as is the common practice among other stem cell clinics in Mexico.

Application of Differentiated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

We follow the process of differentiation to assign specific functions to stem cells which are otherwise rendered blank in the lab after extraction by reversing the clock on them. For the purpose of treatment we use induced pluripotent stem cells which bypass ethical concerns connected with embryonic stem cells. Other clinics do not follow the process of differentiation before injecting stem cells back into the body.

In-House Research

We are pioneers of stem cell research and conduct our own investigative work. In fact the founder of GIOSTAR, Dr. Anand Srivastava, has played a pivotal role in setting up regenerative medicine research programs at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, UCI, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. Stem cell is a growing science, and we give a lot of importance to research.

Complete Trip Help

Right from arranging hotel stay to transportation, once you are in Mexico we take care of each and every aspect of your trip.

State-of-the-Art Stem Cell Centers

We have partnered with San Javier hospital in Guadalajara, a multi specialty center, for stem cell therapy for motor neuron diseases. It is a 250-bed state-of-the-art facility.

In Los Algodones, we have a 20-bed stem cell spa center styled like a typical Mexican hacienda. Besides an on-site laboratory, it features a cafeteria, a restaurant, a therapeutic spa, and a state-of-the-art operating room. The spa is less than 10 miles from Yuma, Arizona.

Playa Del Carmen is located in Quintana Roo, Mexico, it is a beautiful beach-side city with lots of tourists from various nationalities and ages. The advantage of coming to this paradisiac destination is that there are 100+ direct (non-stop) flights from the U.S. and Canada to the Cancun International Airport (CUN)

The incredible and warm weather year-round attracts tourists from all over the world so English has become a common language in the city. Most people on the Cancun Riviera speak English and Spanish, and some even other languages.

What is ALS?

​✔ ​It is a kind of motor neuron disease (MND) affecting the voluntary or skeletal muscles.
​✔​ Alternatively known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is caused by the death of motor neurons.
​✔ ​It literally means “no nourishment to muscles.”
​✔ ​Motor neurons are a type of cells in the brain and spinal cord that give instructions to the muscles to move.
​✔​ In ALS motor neurons progressively degenerate, and eventually die.
​✔​ Death of motor neurons makes the brain lose control over muscular movement.
​✔​ Loss of muscle control is also accompanied with loss of ability to eat, speak, move, and breathe.
​✔​ ALS can be of two types – sporadic (occurring without any family history) and familial.
​✔​ According to the ALS Association while sporadic ALS occurs in 90-95% of the total cases, familial ALS is less common, occurring in 5-10% of the cases.

What Causes ALS?

​✔​ Gene mutation or alteration to the DNA material
​✔​ Higher than normal concentration of glutamate around the nerve cells which can be quite harmful to them
​✔​ Immune system turning against own body
​✔​ Mishandling of protein in the nerve cells leading to accumulation of abnormal protein thereby causing their death

Progression of ALS

Initial Stages:
​✔​ One may experience weakening of muscles, spasming, and twitching in either one part of the body or more than one part
​✔​ One may also experience imbalance, slurred speech, and fatigue

Middle Stages:
​✔​ Symptoms may extend to other parts of the body
​✔​ While one may experience paralysis in some muscles, others may get weak or not be affected at all
​✔​ One may also experience difficulty in swallowing and eating
​✔​ Getting up unassisted may not be possible after a fall
​✔​ One may display episodes of emotional incontinence (bouts of uncontrollable laughter and crying)

Later Stages:
​✔​ Paralysis in most of the voluntary muscles
​✔​ Incapability of the lungs to take in adequate oxygen and release sufficient carbon dioxide may interfere with thinking, result in headaches, and increase ones likelihood of catching pneumonia
​✔​ Slurred speech, and trouble eating or drinking

Towards the End
​✔​ A leading cause of death among people with ALS is failure of the respiratory system to take in oxygen sufficient for the cells
​✔​ A not-so-common cause of death among people with ALS is malnutrition caused by their inability to swallow and eat food
Death may also be caused by blood clots in the lungs as well as an abnormal heart rhythm

Treating Lou Gehrig’s Disease With Stem Cells

​✔​ Stem cells, also known as the mother cells of the body, hold great promise for people with ALS.
​✔​ These are without any specialized function and can differentiate into cells with more specific functions under a suitable environment.
​✔​ We at GIOSTAR have the technology to use this extraordinary power of stem cells to develop into more specialized cells.
​✔​ After extracting stem cells from the adipose tissue, we turn back the clock on them.
​✔​ We then induce them (hence the name induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs) to become the cell type that would help improve one’s condition.
​✔​ Scientists were first able to develop human strains of iPSC in 2008.²
​✔​ Popescu et al³ demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cells could replace destroyed neurons as well as act as a provenance of factors that support the growth and differentiation of matured neurons and also modify toxicity.
​✔​ According to some research work, including a 2015 study by Zhijuan Maon⁴ published in Cell Regeneration, stem cells can differentiate into several neural lineages.
​✔​ After re-injecting them into the body through an IV or intrethecal administration, iPSCs have the capability to travel to the affected areas and cause the desired healing effect by doing the following:⁴
* Altering the completely disarrayed physiological process associated with ALS
*​ Slowing down worsening of the disease by making protective factors available to the affected cells
* Reducing inflammation
*​ Replacing the damaged cells
* Modulating the host immune system

Even renowned British physicist, Stephen Hawking, has shown interest in stem cells as a cure for ALS.⁵

Regenerative science of stem cells can help people with ALS get more control over their life. For more information on stem cell therapy in Mexico, fill in the quote form.

References:

1. Petrou P, Gothelf Y, Argov Z, Gotkine M, Levy YS, Kassis I, Vaknin-Dembinsky A, Ben-Hur T, Offen D, Abramsky O, Melamed E, Karussis D. Safety and Clinical Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secreting Neurotrophic Factor Transplantation in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisResults of Phase 1/2 and 2a Clinical Trials.JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(3):337-344. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.4321
2. Dimos JT, Rodolfa KT, Niakan KK, Weisenthal LM, Mitsumoto H, Chung W, et al. Induced pluripotent stem cells generated from patients with ALS can be differentiated into motor neurons. Science. 2008;321(5893):1218–21.
3. Popescu IR, Nicaise C, Liu S, Bisch G, Knippenberg S, Daubie V, et al. Neural progenitors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells survive and differentiate upon transplantation into a rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2013;2(3):167–74.
4. Mao, Z., Zhang, S., & Chen, H. (2015). Stem cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cell Regeneration, 4, 11. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13619-015-0026-7
5. Physicist Stephen Hawking visits L.A. stem cell lab. USA Today. April 9, 2013 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/09/physicist-stephen-hawking-stem-cell-lab/2069461/