Multiple Sclerosis and Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC): what the trial registry contains

Why this is studied in Multiple Sclerosis

MS is immune-mediated demyelination with axonal loss. It holds an unusual position in this field: autologous haematopoietic transplantation has controlled evidence in aggressive relapsing disease and is offered in national health systems in several countries, while mesenchymal infusions marketed to MS patients have a much weaker base. The gap between those two is the single most important distinction in this indication.

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 (multiple sclerosis x mesenchymal stem cell) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.

How mature is this evidence?

The evidence base is small and unfinished: 37 registered records with no later-phase work and 3 enrolling.

5 of these records (14%) were terminated, withdrawn or suspended, against 22 marked completed; unfinished studies rarely appear in marketing summaries.

Median planned enrolment is 21 participants (largest single study: 120). 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

Country coverage runs to 19, but the distribution has a long tail behind United States at about 26% of mentions.

Legal pathway differs by country — see where cell therapy is legal, by country.

Who runs them

Sponsorship leans commercial: 5 of the most frequent lead sponsors read as academic or hospital entities and 7 as companies. Who pays shapes what gets measured and what gets published.

• Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York — 3 records
• Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies - Fundación Pública Andaluza Progreso y Salud — 2 records
• Hadassah Medical Organization — 2 records
• Karolinska Institutet — 2 records
• University of Jordan — 2 records
• Tehran University of Medical Sciences — 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.

What this page does and does not tell you

Treat this as a map of research activity. It tells you whether a claim has an evidence programme behind it — not whether the treatment helped anyone.

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 Multiple Sclerosis are recruiting right now?

3 of 37 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 Multiple Sclerosis?

Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 37 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.

How advanced is the research on MSC for Multiple Sclerosis?

0 of 37 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 22 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2006 to 2025.

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.