ArticleNeurospine2025
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.
Article in Neurospine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Article
- Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of discogenic low back pain: a phenotype-driven precision framework for surgical and interventional decision-making.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy for chronic discogenic low back pain (LBP). A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines. Eligible studies included published and ongoing clinical trials assessing intradiscal MSC injections in patients with chronic discogenic LBP unresponsive to conservative treatment. Risk-of-bias (RoB) assessment was performed through MINORS (Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies) and RoB 2 tools. Within- and between-group differences were expressed as means and 95% confidence intervals. Effect sizes were calculated through Cohen d and g. Data from 10 published clinical studies (n=736; 470 in treatment and 266 in control groups) revealed a mean age of 41.5 years and an average follow-up of 21.6 (range, 6-72) months. Various MSC sources were employed, including autologous and allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs and adipose-derived MSCs, with doses ranging from 6×10⁶ to over 50×10⁶ cells/disc. Visual analogue scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and quality-of-life questionnaires indicated modest improvements in pain, disability, and functional status. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging assessments occasionally demonstrated increased disc hydration and stabilization or improvement of Pfirrmann grade. Data from 8 ongoing trials (n=498 participants; 276 treatment, 222 control) with follow-up periods ranging 6-24 months further corroborate the feasibility and safety of MSC-based interventions. MSC therapy is a biologically-driven approach for managing chronic discogenic LBP. While preliminary data support its potential to alleviate pain and improve disc integrity, further high-quality, standardized trials are necessary to optimize treatment protocols and confirm long-term clinical benefits.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.