Human somatic stem cell-based therapy for cartilage regeneration

Clinical investigations using human somatic tissue derived stem cells for a variety of different diseases have been performed. Neural crest-derived stem cells exhibit somatic organization, can contribute to mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) (1) and are used for cartilage treatment, bone reconstruction and anti-inflammatory treatments for diseases. The most common cell source for cartilage treatment is MSCs (2,3). Many clinical studies have used neural crest-derived stem cells (or MSCs) from different tissues and different methodologies. These differences in the generation of somatic tissue-derived stem cells have led to variable results in clinical studies. Although stem cell properties have been poorly characterized, human trials are presently under way.