COPD & Lung Disease and Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC): what the trial registry contains
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry holds 10 records for MSC in COPD & Lung Disease: 4 recruiting now, 1 labelled Phase 3 or 4, across 7 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
Why this is studied in COPD & Lung Disease
COPD combines airflow obstruction, emphysematous tissue loss and chronic inflammation. Cell approaches target inflammation and possibly alveolar repair; destroyed alveolar architecture does not regrow, so the realistic ambition is slowing decline and reducing exacerbations rather than restoring lung tissue.
What MSC means in this table
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.
The numbers
Every figure below comes from one reproducible query (COPD x mesenchymal stem cell) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered studies (all statuses) | 10 |
| Interventional studies in the sample | 10 |
| Recruiting right now | 4 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Terminated, withdrawn or suspended | 0 |
| Phase 3 or Phase 4 records | 1 |
| Countries with at least one site | 7 |
| Median planned enrolment | 25 participants |
| Largest single planned enrolment | 90 participants |
| First / most recent start year | 2008 — 2027 |
How mature is this evidence?
The ladder is partly climbed: 1 confirmatory-phase records against 10 in total, with the remainder concentrated in dose-finding and safety territory.
0 of these records (0%) were terminated, withdrawn or suspended, against 3 marked completed; unfinished studies rarely appear in marketing summaries.
| Phase label | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | 7 | 50% |
| Phase 1 | 6 | 43% |
| Phase 3 | 1 | 7% |
Median planned enrolment is 25 participants (largest single study: 90). Trials of this size can describe safety and generate hypotheses; detecting a modest clinical benefit reliably usually needs substantially larger numbers with a control group.
Where the studies are
Across 7 countries with registered sites, Vietnam dominates at roughly 20% — a concentration driven by funding and regulation rather than by clinical outcome.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 2 |
| Taiwan | 2 |
| United States | 2 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Indonesia | 1 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 |
| China | 1 |
Legal pathway differs by country — see where cell therapy is legal, by country.
Who runs them
The sponsor mix is academic (4 academic or hospital, 2 commercial among the most frequent lead sponsors).
- Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre — 1 record
- Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology — 1 record
- Meribank Biotech Co., Ltd. — 1 record
- RSUP Persahabatan — 1 record
- The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine — 1 record
- Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute — 1 record
Representative registered studies
Recruiting studies first, then the most advanced phases. Each identifier links to the registry record, where eligibility criteria, outcome measures and contacts are published.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04018729 — Cell Therapy Associated With Endobronchial Valve | Phase 2, Phase 3 | Recruiting | 34 | Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre | 2019-11-19 |
| NCT07441226 — Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Adjuvant Therapy in Group E COPD Patients | Phase 2 | Recruiting | 20 | RSUP Persahabatan | 2025-08-08 |
| NCT06491043 — Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Infusion of Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Phase 2 | Recruiting | 90 | Meribank Biotech Co., Ltd. | 2024-06-11 |
| NCT05147688 — Safety of Cultured Allogeneic Adult Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Pulmonary Diseases | Phase 1 | Recruiting | 20 | The Foundation for Orthopaedics and Regenerative Medicine | 2021-12-01 |
| NCT07477600 — cfMSC Stem Cell Therapy Targeting COPD | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Not Yet Recruiting | 30 | Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute | 2027-06-30 |
| NCT04433104 — Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation in the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Completed | 40 | Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology | 2020-06-09 |
| NCT02645305 — Adipose Derived Stem Cells Transplantation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Unknown | 20 | University of Science Ho Chi Minh City | 2015-06 |
| NCT00683722 — PROCHYMAL™ (Human Adult Stem Cells) for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | Phase 2 | Completed | 62 | Mesoblast, Inc. | 2008-03-20 |
| NCT04047810 — Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Subjects With Advance Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | Phase 1 | Completed | 15 | Mayo Clinic | 2020-01-06 |
| NCT04206007 — Mesenchymal Stem Cells for The Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | Phase 1 | Unknown | 9 | Meridigen Biotech Co., Ltd. | 2020-06-11 |
What this page does and does not tell you
Registration counts measure activity, not effect. A study appears here the moment it is registered — before any participant is enrolled, and regardless of whether results are ever posted.
If a clinic offers you this today, the useful question is not "is there research?" but "which of these registered studies is mine part of, and if none, what evidence applies to the exact product I am being sold?" The Provider Question Builder turns that into a scored checklist.
Frequently asked
How many MSC studies for COPD & Lung Disease are recruiting right now?
4 of 10 registered records were listed as recruiting in the 2026-08-29 snapshot. Recruitment status changes frequently; the registry record is authoritative.
Is MSC an approved treatment for COPD & Lung Disease?
Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 10 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.
How advanced is the research on MSC for COPD & Lung Disease?
1 of 10 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 3 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2008 to 2027.
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.