Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis: From Preclinical and Clinical Perspectives

Abstract

The prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disorder of joints, has substantially increased in recent years. Its key pathogenic hallmarks include articular cartilage destruction, synovium inflammation, and bone remodeling. However, treatment outcomes are unsatisfactory. Until recently, common therapy methods, such as analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatments, were aimed to treat symptoms that cannot be radically cured. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), i.e., mesoderm non-hematopoietic cells separated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord blood, etc., have been intensively explored as an emerging technique for the treatment of OA over the last few decades. According to existing research, MSCs may limit cartilage degradation in OA by interfering with cellular immunity and secreting a number of active chemicals. This study aimed to examine the potential mechanism of MSCs in the treatment of OA and conduct a thorough review of both preclinical and clinical data.

Keywords: cartilage regeneration; clinical trials; mesenchymal stem cells; osteoarthritis; preclinical trials.

Figure 1

Comparison between normal joints and osteoarthritis. The roles of mechanical, metabolic, and inflammatory factors are identified. Reprinted from [2].

Figure 2

Origin and differentiation directions of MSCs. Reprinted from [24]. MSC, mesenchymal stem cell.

Figure 3

MRI evaluation of cartilage regeneration 3 years after HUCB-MSC treatment. (A) A preoperative cartilage defect. (B) Cartilage regeneration at 3 years post-transplantation. (C) The change in relative cartilage relaxation rate was calculated by sampling in the marked area. (D) An increased GAG content is shown in relation to the blue signal. Reprinted from [118]. MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; HUCB-MSCs, human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells; GAG: glycosaminoglycan.