Condition lists for MSC therapy are often long and undifferentiated, which tells a patient nothing. A more useful version separates indications by how much human evidence exists behind them — and states plainly where the answer is still unknown.
How to Read Any Condition List Honestly
- Approved — a regulator has authorised the product for that indication
- Trial-supported — randomised human data exist, with limitations
- Investigational — early or small studies, offered with clear framing
- Unsupported — mechanism or anecdote only, and should not be sold as treatment
A programme that will not place your condition in one of these categories is not giving you enough to decide with. The broader picture is in what stem cells can currently fix.
Musculoskeletal and Degenerative Joint Disease
- Knee osteoarthritis, the most studied musculoskeletal indication
- Hip, shoulder and ankle degenerative change, with less published data
- Tendon and soft-tissue complaints, usually alongside rehabilitation
- Degenerative spine pain, where patient selection is particularly important
Stage matters more than diagnosis label; specific findings are reviewed in our article on knee osteoarthritis and stem cell therapy.
Immune-Mediated and Inflammatory Conditions
- Selected autoimmune conditions, studied for immune modulation rather than cure
- Chronic inflammatory states where conventional control is incomplete
- Graft-versus-host disease, the area with the most regulatory precedent
Coordination with the treating specialist is essential in this group. Our overview of UC-MSC therapy in autoimmune disease sets out how that works in practice.
Metabolic and Organ-Related Indications
- Type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction, studied as adjunctive support
- Chronic kidney and liver disease, where trials are small and endpoints vary
- Chronic lung conditions, where evidence remains preliminary
- Cardiovascular indications, with mixed and often modest published results
These are adjuncts to specialist care, never replacements for it — see our diabetes and kidney disease programmes.
Evidence Status by Indication Group
| Group | Evidence status | How it should be framed |
|---|---|---|
| Knee osteoarthritis | Multiple trials, mixed effect sizes | Adjunct with measured review points |
| Graft-versus-host disease | Regulatory precedent in some regions | Specialist-led setting only |
| Autoimmune conditions | Early to mid-stage trials | Investigational, alongside specialist care |
| Metabolic and organ disease | Small studies, variable endpoints | Investigational adjunct |
| Neurodegenerative disease | Preliminary, no disease reversal shown | Caution; expectations set very carefully |
Cell type and source also affect what is reasonable to expect, as explained in types of stem cells explained.
Claims That Are Not Supported
- Treating or curing active cancer with MSC infusions
- Reversing end-stage organ failure
- Curing neurodegenerative disease or spinal cord injury
- Guaranteed results, or the same protocol applied to every condition
- Any offer made without records review or a diagnosis
A one-protocol-for-everything model is the clearest warning sign, which is why our clinic questions article puts indication-specific evidence first.
Ask Where Your Condition Sits on the Evidence Scale
Our physicians will tell you what is supported for your diagnosis and what is not, before any programme is proposed. MRC Healthcare is a physician-led regenerative medicine group in Bangkok.
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