From Discovery to Regenerative Medicine: The History of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells (MSCs)

September 14, 2026

Last modified: September 15, 2026

The story of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells (MSCs) is closely linked to two pioneering scientists whose discoveries helped shape modern Regenerative Medicine: Professor Alexander Friedenstein and Dr. Arnold Caplan.

Professor Alexander Friedenstein pioneered the discovery and characterization of stromal progenitor cells, demonstrating their clonogenicity, self-renewal and capacity to form bone, cartilage and connective tissues. His landmark work laid a fundamental biological foundation for the development of MSC research, tissue engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Dr. Arnold Caplan helped establish the modern concept of MSCs, highlighting their paracrine and immunomodulatory functions, including anti-apoptotic, anti-fibrotic and angiogenic signaling that supports endogenous tissue repair. He further proposed that MSCs may arise from perivascular cells (pericytes), suggesting that they could be isolated from vascularized tissues including adipose tissue, a rich and accessible source of these cells.

Through their immunomodulatory and trophic properties, MSCs have been investigated as a regenerative therapeutic approach for various orthopaedic conditions, including degenerative osteoarthritis, chondral defects, tendinopathies, meniscal injuries, and muscle disorders.

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS, we harness this Immunomodulatory, Regenerative and Angiogenic potential of autologous Adipose Derived MSCs and follow an individualized approach to treat chronic spinal and joint pain, integrating
clinical evaluation with MRI and advanced imaging such as SPECT-CT to support precise diagnosis and treatment planning. Our therapeutic strategy combines Minimally Invasive Interventions with Regenerative approaches, including AD-MSCs and other Orthobiologics.

Spinal and Joint Pain: Brief Summary

Spinal and joint pain originates mainly from structural wear, injury, or nerve compression. Spinal Pain: Affects the cervical, dorsal, lumbar, or sacral regions due to herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease, which can cause local discomfort or referred pain radiating to the limbs. Joint Pain: Directly impacts key joints such as shoulders, elbows, […]

July 27, 2026

Specificity of SPECT-CT imaging for personalized musculoskeletal therapy

Clinical case: Arthrodegenerative changes in L2-L3 Clinical case: Arthrodegenerative changes in T12-L1 and L5-S1 Clinical case: C5-C7 Osteochondropathy Clinical case: Osteochondral lesion on the tibial articular surface with bilateral inflammatory activity

July 27, 2026

Awards for second and third best poster at the WIRM World Congress 2026, San Francisco, California, USA.

At the conference, we presented pioneering research on optimizing stem cell isolation and expansion, aimed at providing safer, higher-quality cell therapies for joint and spinal pathologies. Complementing this work, our second study introduced an advanced SPECT-CT imaging methodology that ensures the precise and targeted delivery of these therapies directly to the affected tissues.