Knee Osteoarthritis: cell-therapy evidence by therapy class
Across every stem-cell intervention, ClinicalTrials.gov holds 168 registered records for Knee Osteoarthritis — 16 recruiting, 25 at Phase 3 or 4, in 43 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
The condition, and why cells are proposed
The knee is the most-studied joint in cell therapy: accessible, high-volume, with validated pain and function scales and imaging that can track cartilage. Proposed mechanisms are anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective rather than cartilage regrowth, despite marketing that regularly implies new cartilage.
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 32% of country mentions among sampled studies; 43 countries host at least one site.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| United States | 36 |
| China | 21 |
| South Korea | 19 |
| Iran | 7 |
| Taiwan | 7 |
| Spain | 6 |
| Indonesia | 5 |
| France | 4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02844751 — Safety & Effectiveness of Autologous Regenerative Cell Therapy on Pain & Inflammation of Osteoarthritis of the Knee | Phase 2 | Recruiting | 4,000 | VivaTech International, Inc. | 2015-07 |
| NCT07106229 — A Study to Investigate the Effectiveness, Safety, and Tolerability of MAG200 Solution for Intra-articular Injection Compared With Placebo in Participa | Phase 3 | Not Yet Recruiting | 573 | Magellan Stem Cells | 2025-11 |
| NCT06570291 — Allogenic Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis | Phase 3 | Recruiting | 520 | Wuxi Cellular Biopharmaceutical Group Ltd. | 2025-02-28 |
| NCT03818737 — Multicenter Trial of Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis (MILES) | Phase 3 | Completed | 475 | Emory University | 2019-03-28 |
| NCT05507099 — Stem Cell Study in Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip Joints | Phase 2 | Recruiting | 400 | Grigory Karmy | 2022-08-23 |
| NCT06716281 — Efficacy and Safety of IxCell hUC-MSC-O in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis | Phase 3 | Recruiting | 398 | Shanghai IxCell Biotechnology Co., LTD | 2024-01-05 |
Most recently registered
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07337863 — Phase II/III Randomized Trial of UC-MSC Secretome vs Sodium Hyaluronate in Knee Osteoarthritis | n/a | Not Yet Recruiting | n/a | Universitas Sriwijaya | 2026-08-30 |
| NCT07754175 — A Multicenter, Open-Label, Single-Arm Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of FURESTEM-OA-Kit Inj. in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients Who | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Kang Stem Biotech Co., Ltd. | 2026-07-20 |
| NCT07487766 — The Safety and Efficacy of XytriX (Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells) in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis | n/a | Not Yet Recruiting | n/a | TricelX Inc. | 2026-05 |
| NCT07542808 — An Open-Label, Double-Treatment Group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Human Allogeneic Bone-Marrow- Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Prod | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Cellcolabs Clinical SPV Limited | 2026-04-27 |
| NCT07094100 — Tissue Engineered Cartilage to Repairing Articular Cartilage Defects | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College | 2026-04-20 |
Reading this honestly
These figures describe effort, not outcome. Published results, with their control arms and endpoints, are where benefit is decided. For Knee Osteoarthritis 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 Knee Osteoarthritis?
168 registered records mention a stem-cell intervention for this condition (2026-08-29 snapshot), of which 16 were recruiting.
Which therapy class is furthest along for Knee Osteoarthritis?
Ranked by Phase 3/4 records: PRP (35), MSC (19), HSCT (1), 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.