MEDIPOST’s stem cell therapy regenerates stronger cartilage than microdrilling, clears path to US phase 3
Recent clinical data presented at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego suggest that MEDIPOST’s stem cell therapy, Cartistem, may offer a more effective treatment for severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared to traditional microdrilling techniques. The study tracked 25 patients and found that Cartistem helped regenerate stronger cartilage, potentially providing a better alternative for […]
Recent clinical data presented at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego suggest that MEDIPOST’s stem cell therapy, Cartistem, may offer a more effective treatment for severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared to traditional microdrilling techniques.
The study tracked 25 patients and found that Cartistem helped regenerate stronger cartilage, potentially providing a better alternative for patients with severe cartilage damage and knee misalignment.
MEDIPOST announced that its stem cell therapy, Cartistem, reportedly helped regenerate stronger and more resilient cartilage than microdrilling, according to new clinical data presented at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego. The one-year study, published last April in Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, tracked 25 patients with severe cartilage damage and knee misalignment.
Researchers compared Cartistem’s umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) to arthroscopic microdrilling, a marrow-stimulation technique used to trigger cartilage growth. Both treatments were paired with high tibial osteotomy (HTO), a surgery aimed at realigning the knee to delay joint replacement in younger, active OA patients.
According to the study, Cartistem patients started with larger, more severe cartilage defects, yet reportedly recovered more functional cartilage than those in the microdrilling group. The stem cell therapy was said to repair a greater surface area and produce stronger, more durable tissue that resembled healthy joint cartilage.
Microdrilling, by contrast, reportedly left many patients with weaker, fibrous repair tissue, which lacks the durability needed for normal knee function. Researchers wrote that one in five microdrilling patients showed no cartilage regeneration at all.
Histological analysis showed that Cartistem-treated cartilage contained higher levels of type II collagen (a key protein that gives cartilage its strength and resilience). Microdrilling patients had lower collagen levels, suggesting a less stable, weaker repair, according to the study. Arthroscopic testing confirmed that Cartistem-treated cartilage was stiffer, more elastic, and better at resisting breakdown than microdrilled tissue.
“With the right dosing, umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells can regenerate normal cartilage—even in severe cases,” said Professor Kim Sung-hwan of Yonsei University’s Arthroscopy and Joint Research Institute, who designed and led the study. “This could offer a more effective alternative to existing treatments.”
Patients in the Cartistem group also reported greater pain relief and improved knee function compared to the microdrilling group.
With these findings, MEDIPOST reports that it is preparing for a phase 3 trial in the U.S. after securing FDA approval to bypass phase 2. In Japan, phase 3 dosing is complete, with follow-up monitoring underway.
The FDA’s decision reportedly came after reviewing Cartistem’s global trial data, which included results from domestic studies and long-term patient follow-ups. “That evidence was strong enough to skip an intermediate study and move straight into a late-stage trial,” a MEDIPOST spokesperson said.
Originally approved in 2012, Cartistem has reportedly treated over 32,000 patients and is positioning itself as a next-generation regenerative therapy for knee osteoarthritis.
