REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomaterials
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1647909
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Application of Novel Biomaterials and Emerging Techniques in Musculoskeletal DisordersView all 4 articles
Research Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Related Therapies for Rotator Cuff Tendon-to-Bone Healing
Provisionally accepted
Laimeng Song1
Jiwu Chen2*- 1University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- 2Department of Sports Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai, China, shanghai, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are a prevalent cause of shoulder dysfunction, with postoperative retearing remaining a significant challenge due to poor tendon-to-bone healing. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), owing to their multipotency, immunomodulatory properties, and diverse tissue sources, have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. Current approaches include direct MSC implantation, MSC-laden scaffolds for structural support, and utilization of MSC-derived conditioned medium (CM) or exosomes to enhance regeneration. Clinical studies demonstrate reduced retear rates with MSC-based therapies, yet animal models show inconsistent outcomes, influenced by cell source, delivery methods, and dosage. MSC modifications (e.g., gene editing) and scaffold-based strategies further improve biomechanical strength and fibrocartilage regeneration. Emerging focus on MSC secretome, particularly exosomes, highlights their potential in modulating inflammation and tissue repair. While preclinical results are encouraging, clinical translation requires standardization of protocols, optimization of delivery systems, and long-term safety evaluations.
Keywords: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, rotator cuff tendon-bone healing, conditioned medium, Exosomes, Tissue Engineering, scaffolds, Regenerative Medicine
Received: 16 Jun 2025; Accepted: 31 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Song and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jiwu Chen, Department of Sports Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai, China, shanghai, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.