MSC vs HSCT for Spinal Cord Injury: what the registries show
For Spinal Cord Injury, the registry holds 38 MSC records against 11 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 | 38 | 11 |
| Recruiting now | 2 | 0 |
| Phase 3 or 4 records | 2 | 1 |
| Completed | 14 | 3 |
| Stopped early | 3 | 2 |
| Countries with sites | 11 | 7 |
| Median planned enrolment | 18 | 30 |
| First registration year | 2,008 | 2,008 |
The condition underneath the comparison
Traumatic spinal cord injury combines the initial mechanical lesion with secondary inflammation, cavity formation and glial scarring. Cell strategies aim to bridge or protect rather than regrow a cord. Timing splits the field sharply: acute neuroprotection and chronic reconstruction are different scientific problems with different evidence.
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 2 Phase 3/4 records and 14 completed studies; HSCT has 1 and 3. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05018793 — Safety of Cultured Autologous Adult Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Versus Cultured Allogeneic Adult Umbilical-cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cel | Phase 1 | Recruiting | 15 | The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine | 2024-12-01 |
| NCT05152290 — Safety of Cultured Allogeneic Adult Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for SCI | Phase 1 | Recruiting | 20 | The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine | 2022-07-06 |
| NCT04520373 — Autologous Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury Patients | Phase 2 | Active Not Recruiting | 40 | Mayo Clinic | 2020-06-25 |
| NCT07295067 — Extracellular Vesicles for the Treatment of Syringomyelia | Phase 1 | Active Not Recruiting | 18 | Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing | 2025-12-23 |
| NCT01873547 — Different Efficacy Between Rehabilitation Therapy and Stem Cells Transplantation in Patients With SCI in China | Phase 3 | Completed | 300 | General Hospital of Chinese Armed Police Forces | 2012-06 |
Leading HSCT studies
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01676441 — Safety and Efficacy of Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Terminated | 20 | Pharmicell Co., Ltd. | 2008-08 |
| NCT05671796 — Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Subacute Spinal Cord Injury | Phase 2 | Unknown | 40 | SENAI CIMATEC | 2023-04-01 |
| NCT02687672 — Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow or Leukapheresis-Derived Stem Cells for Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury | Phase 2 | Unknown | 50 | Stem Cells Arabia | 2016-01 |
| NCT02326662 — Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Unknown | 30 | Federal Research Clinical Center of Federal Medical & Biolog | 2014-07 |
| NCT02163876 — Study of Human Central Nervous System (CNS) Stem Cell Transplantation in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury | Phase 2 | Terminated | 31 | StemCells, Inc. | 2014-10 |
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 Spinal Cord Injury?
The registries cannot answer that. They show research volume and maturity, not comparative effectiveness: 38 vs 11 registered records (2026-08-29).
Which has more late-stage research for Spinal Cord Injury?
MSC: 2 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.