Table 1 Summary of clinical trials of MSC-based therapy for the treatment of cartilage lesions

Autologous BMSCs

–

Platelet lysate

24 weeks

Knee cartilage defects

IA injection

Pain and motion improvement, Significant cartilage and meniscus regeneration detected by MRI

[15]

Autologous BMSCs

4 × 10⁷

–

12/24 weeks

Knee OA

IA injection

Significant improvement in MRI outcomes and clinical performance

[16]

Autologous BMSCs

–

Collagen gel; periosteum

12 months

Knee cartilage defects

Surgical delivery

Promote hyaline-like type of cartilage tissue regeneration, remarkable improvement in clinical symptoms

[12]

Autologous BMSCs

1 × 10⁶, 1 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷

–

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Reduces Synovial Inflammation, The clinical symptoms of the 5 × 10⁷ cell group were significantly improved

[17]

Autologous BMSCs

8–9 × 10⁶

–

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Walking time without pain improved

[18]

Autologous BMSCs

4 × 10⁷

2% human serum albumin

6 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Alleviating pain and patient symptoms

[19]

Autologous BMSCs

6 × 10⁷ ± 0.6 × 10⁶

–

24 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Clinical outcome and knee cartilage thickness were significantly improved

[20]

Autologous BMSCs

1 to 10 × 10⁷

HA

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Clinical and functional improvement of knee OA

[21]

Autologous BMSCs

–

Platelet-rich fibrin glue

6, 12 months

Cartilage Defects

Surgical implantation

Promote the repair of articular cartilage defects

[11]

Autologous BMSCs

1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸

Fibrin glue

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Significant improvement in WOMAC and VAS scores

[22]

Autologous BMSCs

8–9 × 10⁶

5 years

Knee OA

IA injection

Pain and walking distance were improved, the worse of knee were delayed

[23]

Autologous BMSCs

5 × 10⁶

–

2, 6, 12, 30 months

Knee, ankle, or hip OA

IA injection

MRI showed improved VAS and WOMAC scores

[24]

Allogeneic BMSCs

1.5–2 × 10⁶

–

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Promote hyaline-like regeneration and clinical outcome

[25]

Allogeneic BMSCs

2.5 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷, 7.5 × 10⁷, 1.5 × 10⁸

–

1, 3, 6, 12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Cell dose at 2.5 × 10⁷ was the most effective among the doses tested for pain relief and clinical score

[26]

Allogeneic BMSCs

4 × 10⁷

Hyaluronic acid

12 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Improvement in pain and cartilage quality

[27]

Allogeneic BMSCs

5 × 10⁷, 1.5 × 10⁸

Hyaluronic acid/hyaluronan

55/24

Knee OA

IA injection

Pain alleviation and MRI evidence of meniscus regeneration

[4]

Autologous ADSCs

1 × 10⁷, 2 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷

24 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Clinically safe and significant improvement in clinical symptoms

[28]

Autologous ADSCs

4.3 × 10⁶

Platelet-rich plasma or fibrin glue scaffold

28.6 months

Knee OA

Arthroscopic surgery

Better repair outcome and IKDC scores in the implantation MSC group on a fibrin glue scaffold

[29]

Autologous ADSCs

4.4 × 10⁶

Fibrin glue

27.9 months

Knee chondral defects

Arthroscopic implantation

Significant improvement in clinical and MRI outcomes

[30]

Autologous ADSCs

2 × 10⁶, 1 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷

–

6 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Low-dose ADSCs significantly improve pain and function

[31]

Autologous ADSCs

1.4 × 10⁷

–

3-months

Knee OA

IA injection

Pain relief in osteoarthritic knees, significantly improved clinical outcomes in WOMAC and VAS scores

[32]

Autologous ADSCs

1 × 10⁷, 5 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸

–

6 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Regeneration with hyaline‐like articular cartilage

[33]

Autologous ADSCs

5 × 10⁷

Ultrasound guidance

24-month

Knee OA

IA injection

Long-term safety and efficacy

[34]

Allogeneic hUCB-MSCs

–

–

18.7 months

Medial unicompartmental knee OA

Surgical delivery

More effective in cartilage regeneration

[35]

Allogeneic hUCB-MSCs

–

Hyaluronate

48-week

Cartilage defects

Surgical delivery

Cartilage repair, pain and function improvement

[36]

Allogeneic hUC-MSCs

2 × 10⁷

5% AB plasma

24/48 weeks

Knee OA

IA injection

Improved clinical scores and MRIs

[37]

Allogeneic hUC-MSCs

1 × 10⁷

Hyaluronic acid

6 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Improved clinical score

[38]

Allogeneic hUCB-MSCs

–

–

7 years

Knee OA

IA injection

Clinically safe and effective for cartilage regeneration

[39]

Allogeneic hUCB-MSCs

2.5 × 106 cells/cm2

4% HA (CARTISTEM®)

36.1 ± 6.4 months

Knee OA

Surgical delivery

Significantly improved pain and joint function

[40]

Infrapatellar fat pad-derived MSCs

1.89 × 10⁶

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

16 months

Knee OA

IA injection

Relievedpain in patients with OA

[41]

Allogenic Wharton's jelly umbilical cord MSCs

–

Porcine type I/II collagen matrix scaffold (ChondrO-Gide)

12 months

Knee cartilage injury

Surgical implantation

Induce hyaline-like regeneration

[42]

Allogenic placental MSCs

0.5–0.6 × 10⁸

–

24 weeks

Knee OA

IA injection

Safe and clinical symptom improvement

[43]

Synovial MSCs

4.7 × 10⁷

–

48 months

Knee cartilage defects

Arthroscopic transplantation

Significantly improved MRI, histologic features, and clinical scores

[44]