The role of adipose-derived stem cells in knee osteoarthritis treatment: insights from a triple-blind clinical study.

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that primarily affects older adults, characterized by cartilage degradation, synovitis, and osteophyte formation. Despite its prevalence, no medical treatment can reverse the joint cartilage degradation, leading many patients to undergo invasive procedures such as arthroplasty. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), particularly those derived from adipose tissue, have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach due to their ability to differentiate into chondrocytes and potentially regenerate cartilage. While MSCs from bone marrow and umbilical cord have shown efficacy in treating OA, adipose-derived MSCs (ADMSC) are more accessible and cost-effective. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of allogeneic ADMSC in treating knee OA. This triple-blind, interventional clinical trial included 20 patients with idiopathic knee OA, meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to receive an intra-articular injection of either 0.5 × 10 8 allogeneic ADMSC or saline (control group). Participants were evaluated for clinical signs of inflammation at baseline, and then at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months post-injection using clinical assessments, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), range of motion (ROM), and Magnetic Resonance Arthrography (

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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