Date of Publication :21st January 2025

Abstract: Trauma and diseases affecting bones and joints often lead to significant damage, not just to the cartilage but also to the underlying subchondral bone, causing severe pain and disability for millions of individuals worldwide. These conditions represent a major challenge in orthopedics. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), found in sources like bone marrow, have shown great promise in tissue engineering for repairing damaged tissues such as bone and cartilage. MSC-based therapies have produced encouraging results in preclinical studies and clinical trials, offering a potential solution for regenerating these vital tissues. Apart from their regenerative capacity, MSCs secrete various bioactive molecules that help promote healing by creating a regenerative microenvironment, reducing inflammation, and modulating immune responses. These secreted molecules, referred to as trophic factors, are integral in tissue repair and regeneration. This review explores the therapeutic potential of MSCs for cartilage and bone repair, their underlying biological mechanisms, and the current clinical applications, as well as the challenges that remain in harnessing their full potential.

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