MSC vs HSCT for Diabetes (Type 1 & 2): what the registries show
For Diabetes (Type 1 & 2), the registry holds 29 MSC records against 14 HSCT records. MSC carries the larger research programme; neither column is a head-to-head efficacy result. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
Side by side
| Metric | MSC | HSCT |
|---|---|---|
| Registered studies | 29 | 14 |
| Recruiting now | 1 | 2 |
| Phase 3 or 4 records | 3 | 1 |
| Completed | 7 | 6 |
| Stopped early | 3 | 2 |
| Countries with sites | 11 | 8 |
| Median planned enrolment | 20 | 25 |
| First registration year | 2,008 | 2,003 |
The condition underneath the comparison
The registry entries here are dominated by type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune destruction of beta cells. Two distinct strategies appear: immune reset around new-onset disease, and beta-cell replacement from stem-cell-derived islets. The second is the most genuinely transformative line of work in the whole field, and it is also the one most often invoked by clinics offering something entirely different.
MSC: what it is
Mesenchymal stromal cells are the workhorse of commercial cell therapy: easy to source from fat, cord or marrow, easy to expand, and rarely characterised in the same way twice. Their proposed action is paracrine — signalling molecules that damp inflammation — rather than replacement of lost tissue. That matters when reading counts like these, because two studies filed under the same label can test materially different products at different doses by different routes.
HSCT: what it is
Haematopoietic transplantation is the oldest and most consequential cell therapy in medicine, with conditioning regimens that carry real mortality risk alongside genuine disease-modifying power. Registrations under this label therefore mix decades-old standard-of-care protocols with newer autoimmune-reset trials, and the risk profile is nothing like that of an outpatient infusion.
Maturity difference
MSC has 3 Phase 3/4 records and 7 completed studies; HSCT has 1 and 6. Where both sit early on the ladder, the honest answer to "which works better" is that registrations cannot tell you.
Leading MSC studies
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06951074 — Insulin Producing Stem Cell Transplantation Clinical Trial in Type 1 Diabetes | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Recruiting | 20 | Ain Shams University | 2025-04-01 |
| NCT04061746 — Cellular Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Phase 1 | Active Not Recruiting | 60 | Medical University of South Carolina | 2020-02-27 |
| NCT02138331 — Effect of Microvesicles and Exosomes Therapy on β-cell Mass in Type I Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Unknown | 20 | General Committee of Teaching Hospitals and Institutes, Egyp | 2014-04 |
| NCT01157403 — Autologous Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treatment of Patients With Onset of Type 1 Diabetes | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Unknown | 80 | Lu Debin | 2010-07 |
| NCT05207995 — The Treatment of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus With Autologous Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Completed | 32 | Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of National Aca | 2022-03-01 |
Leading HSCT studies
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06951074 — Insulin Producing Stem Cell Transplantation Clinical Trial in Type 1 Diabetes | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Recruiting | 20 | Ain Shams University | 2025-04-01 |
| NCT03835312 — Sequential Transplantation of UCBSCs and Islet Cells in Children and Adolescents With Monogenic Immunodeficiency T1DM | n/a | Recruiting | 50 | Children's Hospital of Fudan University | 2019-02-20 |
| NCT03484741 — Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Unknown | 15 | Van Hanh General Hospital | 2017-04-01 |
| NCT02057211 — Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Intervene in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes: a Blinded Randomized Study | Phase 2 | Terminated | 10 | Uppsala University Hospital | 2014-04 |
| NCT02644759 — Transplantation of Autologous Stem Cells for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Completed | 100 | Stem Cells Arabia | 2014-02 |
The honest comparison
Head-to-head trials putting these two approaches in the same protocol are rare or absent for most conditions. Comparing counts from separate registry queries shows where research effort went — driven by cost, regulation and sponsor interest as much as by biology. Anyone presenting one column of this table as proof of superiority is overreading it.
Frequently asked
Is MSC better than HSCT for Diabetes (Type 1 & 2)?
The registries cannot answer that. They show research volume and maturity, not comparative effectiveness: 29 vs 14 registered records (2026-08-29).
Which has more late-stage research for Diabetes (Type 1 & 2)?
MSC: 3 Phase 3/4 records. HSCT: 1.
Can a clinic offer both?
Some do, which is itself worth questioning — a provider offering every modality for every condition is describing a business model, not a treatment rationale.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.