EHL Bio Hospital: Korea's adult stem cell centre with its own research institute and GMP labs

Inside the EHL Bio Cell Center in Gangnam, Seoul

Photographs taken on site: the cell centre building, waiting lounge, reception, private infusion suite, twin recovery room and en-suite bathroom — so you know the standard of care before you travel. Tap a photo to enlarge it (arrow keys to browse).

Photographed by the Khunkim.com team at the EHL Bio Cell Center, Seoul

Questions to settle before visiting the EHL Bio Cell Center

The questions Thai readers ask most about getting there, the rooms, lab documentation, total cost and risk — answered directly, with what to request in writing.

• Where is the EHL Bio Cell Center, and how do you get there from Gangnam?▾

  The cell centre sits at 136 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — Korea's aesthetic and regenerative medicine district. Take Line 3 to Apgujeong station or the Bundang line to Apgujeong Rodeo, then walk a few minutes. From Incheon airport it is roughly 60–80 minutes by limousine bus or taxi. The hospital runs its own patient shuttle van (visible in the exterior photo); ask in advance whether your case qualifies for pick-up.

• What are EHL Bio's rooms like, and is an overnight stay required?▾

  On site there are private single-bed infusion suites with en-suite bathrooms (marble basin, LED mirror, skincare amenities) and twin recovery rooms for couples or patients travelling with a carer — closer to a hotel than a ward. An intravenous cell infusion usually takes a few hours and you return to your accommodation the same day, but if fat is harvested or another procedure is combined, the doctor may extend observation. Confirm against your own treatment plan.

• How can you verify the cells were really cultured in EHL Bio's own GMP lab?▾

  Ask for three documents in writing: (1) the name, address and cell-processing facility licence number of the lab that cultured the cells; (2) the per-lot quality report — cell count per dose, viability, sterility and endotoxin results; and (3) a consent form stating plainly whether this is treatment, banking or trial enrolment. Because EHL Bio's labs are hospital-owned (two GMP centres, CLASS 100 clean rooms), it can answer all three at source.

• What should a Thai patient budget in total for EHL Bio?▾

  The hospital's published pricing separates harvesting, culturing, annual banking and each infusion. On top of that, budget flights, 3–7 nights in Gangnam, local transport, an interpreter if needed, and pre-infusion blood work. Ask for a fully itemised quote before transferring money, and check whether cell banking carries a recurring annual fee.

• EHL Bio's videos are in Korean — can Thai viewers follow them?▾

  The original clips from the official YouTube channel are in Korean and English. On this page every title is translated into Thai and the key clips carry a summary, key points and a condensed Thai transcript, so you can read the substance without watching in full. To hear the original, turn on YouTube's auto-captions and add Thai translation.

• Are the facility photos on this page real or supplied press images?▾

  They are original photographs taken by the Khunkim.com team while visiting the EHL Bio Cell Center in Gangnam, Seoul — not stock or renders. Every frame carries a bilingual caption and alt text; tap any photo to open the full-size viewer and use the arrow keys to move between images.

• What risks and caveats should you weigh before any stem cell infusion?▾

  Four caveats: (1) for many conditions the evidence is still research-stage rather than an approved drug, so do not expect a cure; (2) every procedure carries risk — fat harvesting, intravenous infusion, allergic reaction, infection; (3) disclose your full medical history, medication and any cancer history to the doctor; and (4) walk away from guaranteed results or pressure to decide on the spot. This page is educational information, not personal medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

• What is EHL Bio Hospital and how does it differ from an ordinary stem cell clinic?▾

  EHL Bio is a Korean hospital specialising in cell therapy, founded in 2012. The key difference is that it operates its own research institute in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do and its own international-standard laboratories — two GMP plants inspected by Korea's MFDS and holding a Japanese CPC licence, culturing over 6,000 lots a year — rather than relying on outside labs the way ordinary clinics do. Patient care runs through the EHL Cell Center in Apgujeong, Seoul, plus a network of roughly 100 partner hospitals in Korea and 50 overseas.

• Which type of stem cells does EHL Bio use?▾

  Mainly autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which underpin ADSTEM, RASTEM and PDSTEM, plus autologous urine-derived MSCs expressing Klotho, which underpin the KDSTEM kidney programme. No embryonic cells are involved.

• Is ADSTEM already an approved atopic dermatitis treatment?▾

  No. ADSTEM completed Phase 1 in 2017, was approved for Phase 2 in 2019, finished Phase 2 in 2023 and filed a Phase 3 IND in 2024. If anyone offers treatment with it, ask explicitly whether that means enrolment in an approved clinical trial.

• What standards do EHL Bio's GMP plants hold?▾

  Two GMP centres, completed in 2015 and 2019, inspected by Korea's MFDS in 2016, holding a CPC licence from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since 2017, and — per the company — Korea's licence No.1 for human cell management plus the country's first cell-processing facility licence in 2021. Clean rooms run at CLASS 100.

• How is EHL-STEM conditioned media different from stem cells?▾

  Conditioned media is the liquid produced while cells are cultured, not the cells themselves. It carries growth factors such as VEGF, FGF, TGF, PDGF, HGF and EGF, which is why it is used as a cosmetic ingredient under the INCI name Human Adipose Stromal Cell Conditioned Media. It is neither a drug nor a cell transplant.

• How can Thai patients access EHL Bio treatment?▾

  The main route is contacting the EHL Cell Center in Apgujeong, Seoul directly, or going through a partner hospital or clinic in its network, which covers Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. Before committing, ask for documentation naming the culturing lab, its licence, the cell count per dose and the accompanying quality-test results.

• Which diseases does EHL Bio target?▾

  Its Cure pages name nine groups: Alzheimer's disease, degenerative arthritis, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, liver cirrhosis, myocardial infarction, COPD, autoimmune disease and atopic dermatitis. These are research targets, not evidence that an approved product exists for each.

• Where is the EHL Cell Center and how do I get there?▾

  At the EHL Building, 136 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06029 — about 444 m from Apgujeong Station exit 5, phone +82-2-532-9855. The head office and research institute are at Indeokwon IT Valley in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do.

• How do ADSTEM, KDSTEM, RASTEM and PDSTEM differ?▾

  They are four separate cell therapy programmes. ADSTEM uses autologous adipose-derived stem cells for atopic dermatitis; KDSTEM uses autologous urine-derived, Klotho-expressing stem cells for chronic kidney disease; RASTEM targets rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disease; PDSTEM targets neurodegenerative disease. Each sits at a different trial stage, so none should be assumed approved.

• Are autologous adipose stem cells safer than donor cells?▾

  Autologous cells avoid donor-rejection risk, but that does not make the procedure risk-free: liposuction-related infection, laboratory culture quality, the dose and viability of the returned cells and injection-site reactions all remain. Safety depends more on the lab's licence and GMP standard than on the word autologous.

• How much does treatment using EHL Bio-manufactured cells cost?▾

  The company does not publish a per-course list price because it does not sell directly to patients. However, partner clinic/hospital price lists that use EHL Bio cells typically list a standard MSC package starting at about USD 35,000 (around KRW 50 million) for 3 sessions of 300 million cells each, totalling 900 million cells, with cell banking for up to 10 years. That works out to roughly KRW 55,556 per million cells, which is very low compared with global benchmarks. The actual price a patient pays still varies by hospital, number of sessions, cell-banking fees and physician fees. Ask for a written itemised quotation before paying.

• How does cell banking with EHL Bio work?▾

  Typically fat is harvested once, the stem cells are isolated and expanded in a GMP plant, then cryopreserved for later sessions without repeating liposuction. Clarify the storage contract length, annual fees, what happens if the company or clinic closes, and the paperwork confirming cell counts and contamination testing for your stored lot.

• What should I ask before agreeing to cell therapy in Korea?▾

  At minimum five: which laboratory cultures the cells and under what licence; whether this is approved treatment or enrolment in a clinical trial; whether cell count and viability per dose are stated numerically; whether sterility and endotoxin results for that lot are attached; and which Korean-licensed doctor performs the injection and handles follow-up. If the answers are marketing claims without documents, delay the decision.