ReviewFrontiers in cell and developmental biology2025
Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical outcomes and functional recovery.
Review in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy of psychological interventions versus standard care for cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Stem Cell Therapy: Past, Present, and Future Aspects.Biomedicines · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Backgrounds: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), focusing on patient-reported pain and functional outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to 1st October 2025. RCTs comparing intra-articular MSC injections with control interventions (placebo, hyaluronic acid, or other active treatments) in adult OA patients were included. Primary outcomes were changes in pain intensity measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and functional improvement assessed by International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. Secondary outcomes included Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lequesne index, Lysholm score, and Tegner activity scale. Data were pooled using random-effects models and expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Eleven RCTs involving 811 patients were included. MSC therapy demonstrated significant reduction in VAS pain scores compared to controls (MD -4.08, 95% CI -5.56 to -2.61, p < 0.00001), with the most pronounced effects at 24-month follow-up (MD -3.31, 95% CI -5.18 to -1.44, p = 0.0005). Significant improvements were observed in IKDC scores (MD 2.88, 95% CI 0.28 to 5.47, p = 0.03), WOMAC index (MD -11.05, 95% CI -15.97 to -6.14, p < 0.0001), Lequesne index (MD -5.32, 95% CI -5.91 to -4.74, p < 0.00001), Lysholm score (MD 5.07, 95% CI 1.86 to 8.29, p = 0.002), and Tegner activity scale (MD 0.44, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.62, p < 0.00001). The therapeutic effects showed a time-dependent pattern, with maximal benefits observed at 24-month follow-up across all outcome measures. Conclusion: Intra-articular MSC injection is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis, providing significant and durable improvements in pain relief, functional recovery, and activity levels up to 24 months post-treatment. The time-dependent nature of clinical benefits suggests a potential disease-modifying mechanism of action. MSC therapy represents a promising regenerative approach for OA management that warrants further investigation in large-scale trials.
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