Spinal Cord Injury and Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC): what the trial registry contains

Why this is studied in Spinal Cord Injury

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.

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 (spinal cord injury x mesenchymal stem cell) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.

How mature is this evidence?

Evidence here is mid-maturity: a handful of Phase 3 or 4 registrations (2 of 38) sit above a much larger early-phase base.

3 of these records (8%) were terminated, withdrawn or suspended, against 14 marked completed; unfinished studies rarely appear in marketing summaries.

Median planned enrolment is 18 participants (largest single study: 300). 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

11 countries host at least one site. China is the largest single contributor at roughly 27% of country mentions in this sample.

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

Who runs them

Among the top lead sponsors, 13 are universities or hospitals and 2 are companies, making this a academic area.

• Hospital Sao Rafael — 4 records
• Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University — 3 records
• University of Jordan — 2 records
• R-Bio — 2 records
• Chinese Academy of Sciences — 2 records
• Puerta de Hierro University Hospital — 2 records

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

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 Spinal Cord Injury are recruiting right now?

2 of 38 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 Spinal Cord Injury?

Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 38 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.

How advanced is the research on MSC for Spinal Cord Injury?

2 of 38 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 14 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2008 to 2026.

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.