What Muse cells are
Muse cells are a sparse subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells, roughly one to three percent of an MSC pool. They carry the pluripotency marker SSEA-3, survive conditions that kill ordinary cells, and migrate to sites of physical distress on their own.
TrueCell administers Muse cells in Cancún and Tijuana, México: by intravenous infusion on their own, or added to a joint or spine protocol in the same visit. Human trials remain small and early-phase; the evidence is reviewed on the Muse cell research page.
Muse cell treatment at TrueCell
Four protocols, given in Cancún and Tijuana. Muse cells are infused by IV on their own, or added to a joint or spine protocol in the same visit. The reviewing physician decides whether Muse is included and at what dose.
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Standalone IV, standard dose
1.5 × 107 cells · 60 to 90 minutesA systemic infusion of Muse cells. Used when a condition affects more than one site or when inflammation is widespread.
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Standalone IV, high dose
3.0 × 107 cells · 60 to 90 minutesThe same infusion at double the cell count, for a heavier disease burden.
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IV add-on
Same visit as a joint or spine protocolA Muse infusion given alongside the local injection, so the treated site receives its own dose and the rest of the body receives a systemic one.
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Direct joint injection
Image guided · 20 to 40 minutesMuse cells injected into the joint being treated, on top of the base protocol. You walk out the same day.
Who it is for
Muse cells are used within the orthopedic, autoimmune, and neurological programs. Candidacy is decided from your history, imaging, and laboratory results. Muse is generally not offered in pregnancy, active infection, or during active cancer treatment without oncology clearance.
The visit
A physician reviews your records by video call before any travel is booked. Cells are supplied fresh, held at 4 to 8 °C, and used within hours of harvest. Most patients fly home the day after treatment. Remote check-ins follow at 2, 6, and 12 weeks.
Where and cost
Centro Quirúrgico Mayan in downtown Cancún and Hospital Blue Medical Tower in Tijuana, with the same laboratory at both. Each plan arrives as a written, itemized quote. Indicative ranges are on the pricing page.
How Muse cells compare
The standard alternatives in regenerative medicine, set against the properties patients and clinicians actually weigh.
| Property | MuseWhat we use | Umbilical cordUC-MSC | EmbryonichESC | InducediPSC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Adult mesenchymal tissue | Umbilical cord (Wharton's jelly) | Donated embryos | Reprogrammed somatic cells |
| Pluripotency | All three germ layers | Mesoderm only | All three germ layers | All three germ layers |
| Tumorigenic risk | None reported in human trials to date | None reported | Documented teratoma formation | Documented teratoma formation |
| Injury-site homing | Yes, S1P-guided | Limited | No | No |
| Abundance | 1–3% of MSC pool | Abundant | Limited | Engineerable |
| Regulatory status | Investigational (MX / Japan) | COFEPRIS-regulated (MX) | FDA-restricted | FDA-restricted |
Properties summarised from peer-reviewed sources. View references →
Muse cells, by the numbers
Four facts, each with its source.
of the standard MSC pool is Muse-positive.
Kuroda Y, et al. Unique multipotent cells in adult human mesenchymal cell populations. PNAS 2010.
First isolated at Tohoku University by the Dezawa lab.
Kuroda Y, Dezawa M, et al. Unique multipotent cells in adult human mesenchymal cell populations. PNAS 2010.
Surface marker used to identify and sort Muse cells from MSC pools.
Wakao S, et al. Muse cells are a primary source of induced pluripotent stem cells in human fibroblasts. PNAS 2011.
Participants across published human trials. No tumors have been reported. No Muse product is approved by a major regulator.
Phase I and II trials, 2018 to 2024. Trial review →
How Muse cells reach injury
The S1P-guided homing mechanism, traced from infusion to integration.
Injured tissue releases a chemical signal. Muse cells carry the receptor for it and travel toward the source.
Mechanism references →- Muse cell
- Resident tissue
- S1P gradient
Schematic, not to scale.
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Infusion
Muse cells enter circulation by IV. No targeted delivery is required: the bloodstream is the delivery route.
Wakao S, et al. PNAS 2011. -
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S1P gradient detection
Damaged tissue releases sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Muse cells express the S1P receptor and follow the gradient toward its highest concentration.
Yamada Y, et al. Circulation Research, 2018. -
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Migration and integration
In animal models, Muse cells collect at the injury site and differentiate into the local tissue type. Human trials have reported no teratomas.
Kuroda Y, et al. PNAS 2010 (mechanism); Phase I/II trials 2018–2024 (safety).
How Muse cells differ from standard stem cells
Standard mesenchymal cells act mainly by signalling: they reduce inflammation and prompt the body to repair itself. In laboratory and animal studies, Muse cells also become part of the damaged tissue. Human evidence for this is early.
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Integration as well as signalling
Umbilical cord stem cells signal for repair and are cleared within weeks. In animal studies, Muse cells differentiate into the local cell type and persist in the tissue.
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Differentiation by location
Muse cells can form cell types from all three germ layers. In published models they have become heart muscle, neurons, and liver cells, according to the tissue they reached.
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Stress tolerance
Muse cells were first isolated as the cells that survived severe stress in culture. This tolerance is thought to help them survive infusion and reach injured tissue.
References & further reading
The claims on this page rest on the peer-reviewed Muse-cell literature summarized below. These citations support the general scientific basis for Muse-cell biology; they are not claims of guaranteed outcomes for any individual patient. Muse-cell therapy is investigational: clinical evidence is still developing, and protocols at TrueCell are provided under Mexican regulatory authority (COFEPRIS) after individual physician review.
- Kuroda Y, Kitada M, Wakao S, et al. Unique multipotent cells in adult human mesenchymal cell populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 2010;107(19):8639–8643. PubMed
- Wakao S, Kitada M, Kuroda Y, et al. Multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells are a primary source of induced pluripotent stem cells in human fibroblasts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 2011;108(24):9875–9880. PubMed
- Dezawa M. Muse Cells Provide the Pluripotency of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Direct Contribution of Muse Cells to Tissue Regeneration. Cell Transplantation. 2016;25(5):849–861. PubMed
- Yamada Y, Wakao S, Kushida Y, et al. S1P–S1PR2 Axis Mediates Homing of Muse Cells Into Damaged Heart for Long-Lasting Tissue Repair and Functional Recovery After Acute Myocardial Infarction. Circulation Research. 2018;122(8):1069–1083. PubMed
- Kuroda Y, Oguma Y, Hall K, Dezawa M. Endogenous reparative pluripotent Muse cells with a unique immune privilege system: Hint at a new strategy for controlling acute and chronic inflammation. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022;13:1027961. PubMed
Muse cell therapy in México: common questions
What patients ask before choosing a Muse protocol. If a question is not covered here, get in touch.
What are Muse cells?
Muse cells (multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring cells) are a rare subset of mesenchymal stem cells, roughly one to three percent of a standard MSC pool, identified by the surface marker SSEA-3. First isolated at Tohoku University in 2010, they survive stress that kills ordinary cells and migrate toward injured tissue along its stress signals.
Where can I get Muse cell therapy in México?
TrueCell delivers Muse cell protocols at two locations: Centro Quirúrgico Mayan in the KUN Building, downtown Cancún, and Hospital Blue Medical Tower in Zona Urbana Río, Tijuana. Both sites use the same laboratory and the same physician review. See Muse cells in Cancún and Muse cells in Tijuana.
How are Muse cells given?
By intravenous infusion, 60 to 90 minutes, either as a standalone protocol at a standard or high dose, or added to any joint or spine protocol in the same visit. For joint cases a direct, image-guided Muse injection into the treated joint (20 to 40 minutes, walk out the same day) can be layered on top of the base protocol. Muse cells are supplied fresh, never frozen, held at 4 to 8 °C and used within hours of harvest. The full menu is on the treatments page.
Which conditions are Muse cells used for at TrueCell?
Muse cells are used within TrueCell's orthopedic, autoimmune, and neurological programs, most often as a systemic add-on when a condition affects more than one site or when inflammation is widespread. Whether Muse is included, and at what dose, is decided by the reviewing physician for each case.
Is Muse cell therapy approved or proven?
No Muse cell product is approved by any major regulator. Published human evidence covers about sixty trial participants: one randomized trial of 35 stroke patients with a positive result, and small open-label studies in heart attack, spinal cord injury, epidermolysis bullosa, and ALS, all with a good safety record. TrueCell provides Muse cells as physician-directed treatment under México's COFEPRIS framework, not as part of a registered trial. The trial data are reviewed on the Muse cell research page.
What does Muse cell therapy cost in México?
Muse is priced per protocol. A standalone IV infusion and a same-visit add-on are quoted differently, and the high-dose protocol costs more than the standard dose. Every plan arrives as a written, itemized quote after the physician consultation, before any travel is booked. Indicative ranges for TrueCell protocols are on the pricing page.
Who is a candidate for Muse cell therapy?
Candidacy is decided at the consultation from your history, imaging, and laboratory results. Muse is generally not offered during active cancer treatment without oncology clearance, in active infection, in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with severe uncontrolled heart, liver, or kidney disease. Uncontrolled autoimmune disease is stabilized with your specialist first.
Where you’ll be treated
Muse cell therapy in México is delivered at both TrueCell locations.
Tijuana
Hospital Blue Medical Tower, Zona Urbana Río
Minutes from the San Diego border, with private transport and a medical fast-pass crossing. Usually the simplest trip for patients in the western U.S.
Cancún
Centro Quirúrgico Mayan, KUN Building, Av. Bonampak
Direct flights from 50+ U.S. and Canadian cities, with recovery on the Caribbean coast. Usually the easier reach for patients east of the Rockies, in Canada, or in Europe.