When to expect first results from cell therapy and how long they last

Why this is the most common question after a consultation

After deciding to try cell therapy, the patient and their family face the next set of questions: “when will I see a result?”, “will the effect be permanent?”, “why are three procedures needed?”. This is expected: cell therapy does not work like a painkiller with a predictable action curve over hours. Its timeline is stretched out, and understanding this timeline helps people avoid being disappointed too early and avoid comparing results against an obviously unsuitable baseline.

The first 72 hours: a critical period

The first three days after administration are the acute period. At this stage it is still too early to expect therapeutic effects: this is a window of safety and integration. What is important to do:

Follow the clinic's post-procedure recommendations (avoid heavy physical exertion, stay hydrated, and after a lumbar puncture, lie down for the first few hours and keep your back straight when getting up).

Do not judge whether it is “working or not” in this window: it is clinically too early.

Report any unusual symptoms to the clinic so that rare side effects can be ruled out.

On the biological side: according to a review of MSC pharmacokinetics (Shan et al., Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2024, DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01936-8), after intravenous administration the total concentration of MSCs in the body falls to about 60% at 24 hours and below 10% at 72 hours. This is normal: the cells are not supposed to “stay forever”. Their role is to trigger a cascade of biological changes in the tissue that continue after the cells themselves have been cleared.

The first 1-3 months: the first assessment

This is when first signs of an effect usually appear. In patients with neurological indications: small improvements in motor or cognitive function. In patients with orthopaedic indications: less pain under load. This is not a “breakthrough” but an early clinical signal. Many patients have their first follow-up examination during this period, and sometimes repeat courses.

What is important to understand: no effect in the first weeks does not mean the therapy is not working. MSC therapy typically has a delayed action profile.

Is the effect permanent or temporary

This question needs to be split into two levels: the life of the cells and the life of the effect.

After administration, the cells remain in the body for a relatively short time. According to the Shan 2024 paper cited above and a series of preclinical studies, MSCs are usually detectable for 24-28 hours after intravenous administration, and in some protocols for up to 120 days. That is, the cells do not engraft in the classical transplant sense and do not become part of the tissue for long.

The effect can last much longer: months and years. This is because the therapeutic action of MSCs occurs through paracrine mechanisms and immunomodulation, not through direct differentiation into cells of the damaged tissue.

What the paracrine mechanism of MSC action is. A paracrine effect is a biological effect in which a cell acts on neighbouring cells, rather than on itself, by secreting biologically active molecules. MSCs secrete a large set of such molecules: anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10, prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), TGF-β); neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NGF, GDNF); vascular growth factors (VEGF, HGF); immune system regulators (indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, IDO). These molecules remain in the tissue and continue to act on local cells after the MSCs themselves have gone. In addition, MSCs can “retune” the local population of immune cells: reduce the activity of pro-inflammatory T cells and support regulatory ones. This retuning can last for months.

This is the reason clinical improvement appears at time points when the administered cells have long since left the body.

So the answer to the question “temporary effect or permanent” is neither in the strict sense. MSC therapy gives a long-lasting but not everlasting effect; for some indications a maintenance course is recommended after 12-24 months to renew paracrine activity and immunomodulation.

Why a course usually has three procedures

Han's United works with a course of three procedures. This is the clinic's historically established clinical framework. Biologically, it is justified as follows:

The first procedure starts the cascade: immunomodulation begins to “retune” the inflammatory background.

The second procedure provides support 15-20 days later, while the effect of the first is still active. It adds a new portion of paracrine factors and continues immunomodulation.

The third procedure consolidates, so that the total “dose” of paracrine activity is enough for lasting cellular changes in the tissue.

Important: the 3-procedure schedule is the Han's United framework, not a generally accepted standardised clinical model. The literature contains both single-shot protocols and serial ones. Comparative RCTs directly comparing 1 vs 3 procedures within one schedule have not been published at the time of writing. The argument for a serial approach is biologically grounded (the paracrine effect is not instantaneous) but is not backed by a direct clinical comparison.

What matters for the patient

When discussing expected results with the medical team, it helps to keep a few reference points in mind:

Do not compare cell therapy with drug therapy. MSC therapy has a different action curve: delayed.

Do not judge the effect by the first weeks. The realistic point for a first assessment is 1-3 months.

A maintenance course after 12-24 months is discussed individually and is not mandatory for all patients.

Individual variability is very high. This is not a placebo, but it is not a “guaranteed” therapy either: in some patients the effect is pronounced, in others moderate, in some minimal.

This is a serious decision and should not be made in a hurry. If your loved one has a specific diagnosis, our medical team can give an honest assessment of what timelines and what size of effect are realistic in their case.

References

1. Shan Y. et al. Pharmacokinetic characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells in translational challenges. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (Nature). 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01936-8.

2. Bahsoun S. et al. The impact of cryopreservation on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review. J Transl Med 2019;17:397. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-02136-7.

3. FAQ Han's United (汉氏联合): internal clinic materials on the 3-procedure schedule and follow-up periods.