Mesenchymal stromal cell injections for osteoarthritis: In vitro mechanisms of action and clinical evidence

Existing osteoarthritis treatments are primarily symptomatic, with limited efficacy in modifying the disease's progression. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold promise due to their multilineage potency, immunomodulation, and pain regulation. This narrative review summarizes the preclinical evidence of different mechanisms of action of MSCs in osteoarthritis treatment. In addition, the clinical evidence supporting these mechanisms is reviewed.

In vitro evidence of MSC differentiation is extensive, while direct confirmation of in vivo differentiation remains scarcer, and no direct clinical evidence exists. The chondro-inductive effect of MSCs is demonstrated in vitro in co-culture with chondrocytes and chondrons. Clinically, treatment of cartilage defects with chondrons and MSCs results in cartilage formation in the absence of (differentiated) MSCs in the final repair tissue, suggesting a chondro-inductive role of the MSCs. MSCs reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production and promote an anti-inflammatory environment in vitro and in vivo, although the few clinical reports of immunomodulation are limited to short-term outcomes. MSCs directly interact with pain mediators, such as substance P and CGRP, leading to reduced pain signalling in vitro. Clinical studies consistently demonstrate decrease in pain, but this effect does not always exceed that of placebo controls.

Despite promising outcomes in vitro, the disease modifying potential of MSCs in treatment of degenerative joint disease is currently not demonstrated unambiguously in clinical trials. Future clinical trials should aim not only at demonstrating clinical effect, but also aligning clinical outcomes with mechanisms of action.