Stroke Recovery and Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC): what the trial registry contains

Why this is studied in Stroke Recovery

After ischaemic stroke, some recovery happens spontaneously through oedema resolution and cortical reorganisation, mostly in the first three to six months. Cell therapy is studied both acutely for neuroprotection and chronically for plasticity support — and that spontaneous recovery window is the reason early uncontrolled results in this indication are so often misleading.

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

How mature is this evidence?

The ladder is partly climbed: 3 confirmatory-phase records against 45 in total, with the remainder concentrated in dose-finding and safety territory.

The delivery record matters as much as the count: 11 completed against 6 abandoned or suspended, or 13% of everything registered.

Median planned enrolment is 30 participants (largest single study: 156). 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 14 countries with registered sites, China dominates at roughly 45% — a concentration driven by funding and regulation rather than by clinical outcome.

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

Who runs them

Among the top lead sponsors, 8 are universities or hospitals and 4 are companies, making this a academic area.

• Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz — 2 records
• Zhujiang Hospital — 2 records
• Shanghai IxCell Biotechnology Co., LTD — 2 records
• Southern Medical University, China — 2 records
• Sclnow Biotechnology Co., Ltd. — 2 records
• University Hospital, Grenoble — 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

A registry is a plan repository. Counting entries tells you what people intended to study, which is a weaker thing than what they found.

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 Stroke Recovery are recruiting right now?

7 of 45 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 Stroke Recovery?

Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 45 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.

How advanced is the research on MSC for Stroke Recovery?

3 of 45 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 11 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2010 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.