Tendon & Sports Injuries and Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC): what the trial registry contains
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry holds 5 records for MSC in Tendon & Sports Injuries: 0 recruiting now, 0 labelled Phase 3 or 4, across 4 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
Why this is studied in Tendon & Sports Injuries
Tendinopathy is degenerative rather than inflammatory: disorganised collagen and neovascularisation from chronic overload. This is the orthobiologics heartland, where PRP is far more commonly used than cells, and where eccentric loading programmes remain the intervention with the most consistent 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 (tendinopathy x mesenchymal stem cell) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered studies (all statuses) | 5 |
| Interventional studies in the sample | 5 |
| Recruiting right now | 0 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Terminated, withdrawn or suspended | 0 |
| Phase 3 or Phase 4 records | 0 |
| Countries with at least one site | 4 |
| Median planned enrolment | 20 participants |
| Largest single planned enrolment | 200 participants |
| First / most recent start year | 2013 — 2018 |
How mature is this evidence?
The registry shows exploratory work only — 5 records, no Phase 3 or 4 label, 0 open to enrolment right now.
The delivery record matters as much as the count: 2 completed against 0 abandoned or suspended, or 0% of everything registered.
| Phase label | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | 3 | 60% |
| Early Phase 1 | 1 | 20% |
| Not applicable | 1 | 20% |
Median planned enrolment is 20 participants (largest single study: 200). 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
The work is distributed across 4 countries; South Korea alone accounts for about 40% of mentions, so 'internationally researched' can still mean concentrated in a few regulatory environments.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 2 |
| China | 1 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| Spain | 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, 1 commercial among the most frequent lead sponsors).
- Seoul National University Hospital — 2 records
- Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine — 1 record
- University College, London — 1 record
- Institut de Terapia Regenerativa Tissular — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03279796 — Treatment of Tendon Disease Using Autologous Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Phase 2 | Unknown | 200 | Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of M | 2018-10-01 |
| NCT03449082 — Treatment of Intractable Common Extensor Tendon Injury Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Allo-ASC) | Phase 2 | Completed | 30 | Seoul National University Hospital | 2018-03-15 |
| NCT02064062 — Autologous Stem Cells in Achilles Tendinopathy | Phase 2 | Unknown | 10 | University College, London | 2015-01 |
| NCT03454737 — Treatment of Refractory Patellar Tendinopathy With Mesenquimal Trunk Cells. Comparative Study With PRP. | n/a | Unknown | 20 | Institut de Terapia Regenerativa Tissular | 2017-12-13 |
| NCT01856140 — Treatment of Tendon Injury Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Early Phase 1 | Completed | 12 | Seoul National University Hospital | 2013-05 |
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 Tendon & Sports Injuries are recruiting right now?
0 of 5 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 Tendon & Sports Injuries?
Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 5 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.
How advanced is the research on MSC for Tendon & Sports Injuries?
0 of 5 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 2 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2013 to 2018.
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.
More on this condition
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.