Stem cells for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain

Musculoskeletal-related pain is one of the most disablinghealth conditions affecting more than one third of theadult population worldwide. Pain from various mechanismsand origins is currently underdiagnosed and undertreated.The complexity of molecular mechanisms correlating painand the progression of musculoskeletal diseases is notyet fully understood. Molecular biomarkers for objectiveevaluation and treatment follow-up are needed as a steptowards targeted treatment of pain as a symptom or as adisease. Stem cell therapy is already under investigationfor the treatment of different types of musculoskeletalrelatedpain. Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapiesare already being tested in various clinical trials that usemusculoskeletal system-related pain as the primary orsecondary endpoint. Genetically engineered stem cells,as well as induced pluripotent stem cells, offer promisingnovel perspectives for pain treatment. It is possible that amore focused approach and reassessment of therapeuticgoals will contribute to the overall efficacy, as well asto the clinical acceptance of regenerative medicinetherapies. This article briefly describes the principal typesof musculoskeletal-related pain and reviews the stemcell-based therapies that have been specifically designedfor its treatment.