ArticleJOR spine2025
Intradiscal Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Low Back Pain Due to Moderate-to-Advanced Multilevel Disc Degeneration: A Preliminary Report of a Double-Blind, Phase IIB Randomized Clinical Trial (DREAM Study).
Article in JOR spine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Microfragmented Adipose Tissue in Pain Management: Bridging Regenerative Biology and Clinical Therapeutics.Pain and therapy · 2026Review
- Article
- Evolving Landscape of Regenerative Therapies: Cell-Based and Cell-Free Approaches for Chronic Low Back Pain.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- Article
- The Biomechanical Landscape of Lumbar Disc Herniation: Mechanobiological Insights Into Injury and Regeneration.Neurospine · 2026Review
- Multidimensional Dysfunction in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Correlational Study of Key Clinical Measures.Pain research & management · 2026Article
- Degenerative Disease of Intervertebral Disc: A Narrative Review of Pathogenesis, Clinical Implications and Therapies.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.Neurospine · 2025Article
- Safety of autologous nucleus pulposus cell transplantation with fibrin glue following endoscopic discectomy in chronic low back pain: a preliminary phase I trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, often associated with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising regenerative therapy for IDD due to their ability to promote tissue repair. This phase IIB randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow-derived MSC (BM-MSC) intradiscal injections in patients with chronic LBP due to moderate-to-advanced multilevel IDD. Methods: Fifty-two patients with chronic LBP unresponsive to conservative treatments with moderate-to-advanced IDD at up to three lumbar levels were included. Participants were randomized to receive either BM-MSCs or a sham procedure. Clinical outcomes, including pain intensity (VAS), disability (ODI), and quality of life (SF-36), were assessed at baseline, 1-, 3-, and 6-months postinjection. Structural changes were evaluated via MRI using Pfirrmann grading, disc height index (DHI), and T2 mapping at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Results: Of the 52 enrolled patients, 46 completed the 6-month follow-up (BM-MSC group: Conclusions: Autologous BM-MSC intradiscal injection is a safe and promising approach in patients with chronic LBP due to moderate-to-advanced multilevel IDD. However, despite these regenerative effects, no significant clinical advantages over the sham procedure were observed within 6 months of follow-up.
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