Back Pain & Disc Degeneration: cell-therapy evidence by therapy class
Across every stem-cell intervention, ClinicalTrials.gov holds 35 registered records for Back Pain & Disc Degeneration — 2 recruiting, 2 at Phase 3 or 4, in 11 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
The condition, and why cells are proposed
Degenerative disc disease is the usual registry target: dehydrated discs, annular tears and facet loading. Injected cells are proposed to restore disc matrix or damp inflammatory pain signalling. The complication is that imaging findings correlate poorly with pain, so a treatment can change the disc without changing the symptom, and vice versa.
Therapy classes side by side
Counts come from separate registry queries per class; a study testing two interventions can appear in more than one row, so rows do not sum to the all-interventions total.
Geography of the research
United States accounts for about 50% of country mentions among sampled studies; 11 countries host at least one site.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| United States | 18 |
| South Korea | 4 |
| Australia | 3 |
| Italy | 3 |
| China | 2 |
| Spain | 2 |
| Hungary | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
The largest registered studies
Sorted by planned enrolment — size is not quality, but a 300-participant trial can answer questions a 12-participant series cannot.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02412735 — Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate Rexlemestrocel-L Alone or Combined With Hyaluronic Acid in Participants With Chronic Low Back Pain | Phase 3 | Completed | 404 | Mesoblast, Ltd. | 2015-03-06 |
| NCT00974623 — Bone Graft Materials Observational Registry | n/a | Terminated | 329 | Baxter Healthcare Corporation | 2009-09 |
| NCT00965380 — Trinity Evolution in Posterior or Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF/TLIF) | n/a | Completed | 207 | Orthofix Inc. | 2009-09 |
| NCT00951938 — Trinity Evolution in Anterior Cervical Disectomy and Fusion (ACDF) | n/a | Completed | 200 | Orthofix Inc. | 2009-08 |
| NCT03390920 — Evaluation of Outcomes With Umbilical Cord Allograft for Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal Conditions | n/a | Not Yet Recruiting | 200 | R3 Stem Cell | 2022-01-01 |
| NCT07338877 — RenewDisc Trial: Endoscopic Discectomy and Autologous Stem Cell Therapy for Discogenic Low Back Pain | n/a | Enrolling By Invitation | 120 | EPC Education s.r.o. | 2024-10-01 |
Most recently registered
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06589271 — SCLife®-LDD hUC-MSCs Injection Therapy for Patients With Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration | n/a | Suspended | n/a | Sclnow Biotechnology Co., Ltd. | 2026-12-31 |
| NCT07386548 — Biologic Injection For Adults With Lumbar Disc Herniation | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Weill Medical College of Cornell University | 2026-08-30 |
| NCT04735185 — Stem Cells vs. Steroids for Discogenic Back Pain | n/a | Withdrawn | n/a | Johns Hopkins University | 2025-09-30 |
| NCT07338877 — RenewDisc Trial: Endoscopic Discectomy and Autologous Stem Cell Therapy for Discogenic Low Back Pain | n/a | Enrolling By Invitation | n/a | EPC Education s.r.o. | 2024-10-01 |
| NCT06490887 — Spine Unit Modelling Coupled With hIgh Throughput Analysis (SUIT) | n/a | Unknown | n/a | I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio | 2023-06-28 |
Reading this honestly
A registry is a plan repository. Counting entries tells you what people intended to study, which is a weaker thing than what they found. For Back Pain & Disc Degeneration specifically, the practical question is which registered study — if any — matches the product a provider is offering, and what its outcome measures actually are.
Frequently asked
How many stem-cell trials exist for Back Pain & Disc Degeneration?
35 registered records mention a stem-cell intervention for this condition (2026-08-29 snapshot), of which 2 were recruiting.
Which therapy class is furthest along for Back Pain & Disc Degeneration?
Ranked by Phase 3/4 records: MSC (1), PRP (1), HSCT (0), exosomes (0).
Does a recruiting trial mean I can be treated?
No. Trials have eligibility criteria, and joining one is not the same as buying a treatment. Paying a clinic for an unproven intervention outside a registered study gives you neither the protections nor the data collection of a trial.
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.
Download the query data
Query totals are full API matches; status, phase and country counts describe the first up to 400 returned records per query. Query classes overlap and must not be summed as unique trials. Counts are not treatment outcomes. Snapshot: 2026-08-29. Methods and field definitions.