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China stem-cell evidence guide

“Stem-cell therapy” describes different procedures, products, studies, and unsupported claims.

This guide organises the major clinical categories in China. It does not diagnose, recommend treatment, establish study eligibility, or turn research into paid care.

Status must be verified before disease or price

Established transplantation, an NMPA-approved product, registered research, and an unsupported commercial injection are not interchangeable. Exact cell identity, indication, hospital, protocol, oversight, risks, costs and follow-up must be documented.

PLAIN LANGUAGE

Medical terms in plain language

Hover, focus, or tap an underlined term for a short definition. These definitions do not replace the treating team’s explanation.

15 pathways shown
Established transplant carePUMCH programme · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation

Cell or graft source
The patient’s mobilised peripheral-blood or marrow haematopoietic stem cells
Disease scope
Established disease-specific pathway for selected lymphoma, myeloma, POEMS, amyloidosis and protocol-defined autoimmune settings.
Access boundary
Hospital transplant-team assessment; mobilisation, collection, conditioning, reinfusion and recovery are one episode.
Principal risks
Severe infection; cytopenia; organ toxicity; infertility; relapse; secondary malignancy; graft failure or GVHD where applicable

Not a general regenerative injection and not suitable for every blood cancer.

Review source
Established transplant careNHC restricted-technology rules · 20 Apr 2022

Matched allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation

Cell or graft source
HLA-matched related or unrelated donor marrow or peripheral-blood graft
Disease scope
Established pathway for selected acute leukaemia, MDS, marrow failure and inherited blood or immune disorders.
Access boundary
Requires donor search and confirmation, conditioning, GVHD prevention, infection support and long-term follow-up.
Principal risks
Severe infection; cytopenia; organ toxicity; infertility; relapse; secondary malignancy; graft failure or GVHD where applicable

Transplant-centre status does not establish donor availability, bed access or individual benefit.

Review source
Established transplant carePUMCH programme · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Haploidentical allogeneic transplantation

Cell or graft source
Partially HLA-matched related-donor haematopoietic graft
Disease scope
An established allogeneic donor strategy used by qualified Chinese transplant programmes for selected indications.
Access boundary
The exact platform, donor-specific antibodies, graft source and GVHD strategy must be named by the hospital.
Principal risks
Severe infection; cytopenia; organ toxicity; infertility; relapse; secondary malignancy; graft failure or GVHD where applicable

A wider donor pool does not remove graft failure, GVHD, infection or relapse risk.

Review source
Established transplant careChina Marrow Donor Program list · 3 Aug 2026

Unrelated-donor transplantation

Cell or graft source
Registry-sourced unrelated-donor marrow or peripheral-blood graft
Disease scope
A donor route for selected allogeneic-transplant indications when an acceptable unrelated match is identified.
Access boundary
Requires registry search, confirmatory typing, donor work-up, collection, transport and timing coordination.
Principal risks
Severe infection; cytopenia; organ toxicity; infertility; relapse; secondary malignancy; graft failure or GVHD where applicable

A hospital’s registry-list entry does not prove a suitable donor or current international access.

Review source
Established transplant careNHC cord-blood-bank framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Cord-blood haematopoietic transplantation

Cell or graft source
Banked allogeneic umbilical-cord-blood haematopoietic stem cells
Disease scope
A graft option for selected paediatric or adult allogeneic indications when an adequate unit and programme are available.
Access boundary
Licensed bank, unit identity, HLA match, cell dose, transport, engraftment plan and backup must be verified.
Principal risks
Delayed engraftment; severe infection; graft failure; GVHD; unit-quality and transport risks

Cord-blood banking is not proof that a specific unit or transplant is suitable.

Review source
China-approved productNMPA page · 11 Jun 2025

Amimestrocel injection (睿铂生)

Cell or graft source
Human umbilical-cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Disease scope
Conditionally approved for patients aged 14 or older with steroid-refractory acute GVHD with predominant gastrointestinal involvement.
Access boundary
Prescription medicinal product; exact label, hospital supply, dosing, monitoring and post-marketing evidence require confirmation.
Principal risks
Infusion reactions; infection and immune complications in a high-risk post-transplant population; uncertain long-term risks requiring continued observation

The approval does not extend to arthritis, diabetes, neurological disease, organ repair, autism, anti-ageing or wellness.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · effective 1 May 2026

Mesenchymal-cell immune and inflammatory research

Cell or graft source
Umbilical-cord, marrow, adipose or placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
Disease scope
Research in lupus, Crohn disease, inflammatory disease and GVHD outside the exact approved amimestrocel population.
Access boundary
Only through an exact filed or authorised protocol with named investigator, ethics review and current recruitment confirmation.
Principal risks
Infusion reaction; infection; thrombosis; immune effects; variable potency; uncertain durability and long-term safety

A shared cell type does not extend one product approval to another disease or preparation.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Musculoskeletal and cartilage research

Cell or graft source
Mesenchymal stromal cells, cartilage progenitors or tissue-derived cells
Disease scope
Research in knee osteoarthritis, cartilage, bone and tendon repair.
Access boundary
Research only unless a future NMPA product approval establishes an exact indication.
Principal risks
Infection; inflammatory reaction; ectopic tissue; inconsistent cell identity or potency; uncertain structural benefit

Do not claim routine cartilage regeneration, cure, or replacement of indicated surgery.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Neurological cell-replacement research

Cell or graft source
Neural stem or precursor cells, MSCs, and hESC/iPSC-derived neural cells
Disease scope
Research in Parkinson disease, spinal-cord injury, ALS, stroke and neurodegenerative disease.
Access boundary
Protocol-specific research; cell identity, delivery procedure, immunosuppression, imaging and long-term surveillance must be named.
Principal risks
Tumour or unwanted growth; immune rejection; infection; ectopic tissue; procedure-related neurological injury

No China marketing approval for a neurological stem-cell product is asserted.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Retinal, corneal and ophthalmic research

Cell or graft source
hESC/iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium, corneal progenitors or MSCs
Disease scope
Research in macular, retinal and corneal disease.
Access boundary
Research only; exact graft, surgical technique, immunosuppression and vision endpoints require protocol confirmation.
Principal risks
Tumour or unwanted growth; immune rejection; infection; retinal detachment; inappropriate cell migration

Do not promise restored sight or describe research as routine care.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Cardiac and vascular regeneration research

Cell or graft source
Marrow mononuclear cells, MSCs, peripheral-blood cells or pluripotent-derived cardiac cells
Disease scope
Research in myocardial injury, heart failure and limb ischaemia.
Access boundary
Research only; standard cardiology, revascularisation and heart-failure care remain controlling.
Principal risks
Arrhythmia; microvascular obstruction; immune reaction; infection; unwanted tissue growth; uncertain durability

No China marketing approval for general heart or vascular regeneration is asserted.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchPeer-reviewed China study · 25 Sep 2024

Stem-cell-derived islet research

Cell or graft source
hESC-, iPSC- or chemically induced pluripotent-stem-cell-derived islet cells
Disease scope
Early research in type 1 diabetes and cell-based insulin replacement.
Access boundary
Research protocol only; immune protection, insulin use, graft monitoring and long-term surveillance remain study-specific.
Principal risks
Hypoglycaemia; immune rejection; immunosuppression toxicity; tumour or unwanted growth; uncertain durability

A published single-patient or early study does not establish routine availability or durable benefit.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchChina research framework · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Liver, kidney and lung repair research

Cell or graft source
Umbilical-cord or marrow MSCs and organ- or tissue-specific progenitor cells
Disease scope
Research in cirrhosis, kidney injury, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and other organ injury.
Access boundary
Research only; an exact filed or authorised protocol and current recruitment must be identified.
Principal risks
Infection; immune reaction; thrombosis; ectopic tissue; variable cell quality; uncertain organ-function effect

No general NMPA approval for organ repair is asserted.

Review source
Registered or authorised researchBiomedical-new-technology framework · effective 1 May 2026

Gene-corrected haematopoietic stem-cell research

Cell or graft source
Autologous gene-modified haematopoietic stem or progenitor cells
Disease scope
Product- and protocol-specific research for selected inherited blood, immune or metabolic disorders.
Access boundary
Research only unless the exact gene-cell product later receives China marketing approval.
Principal risks
Conditioning toxicity; insertional or off-target effects; clonal expansion; infection; infertility; unknown late effects

Do not infer approval from an ethics review, hospital filing, IND or published case.

Review source
Unsupported commercial useNHC rules and ISSCR guidance · reviewed 29 Aug 2026

Unproven multi-disease or wellness stem-cell packages

Cell or graft source
Unspecified, mixed or inadequately characterised cells; sometimes marketed alongside exosomes or platelet products
Disease scope
Anti-ageing, rejuvenation, beauty, autism, sexual function, fertility, immune boosting, wellness and broad “regeneration” claims.
Access boundary
Not listed as a treatment pathway. HarbourBridge does not refer patients to unsupported paid interventions.
Principal risks
Contamination; infection; immune reaction; thrombosis; ectopic tissue; tumour growth; organ or visual injury; financial exploitation

No guarantee, testimonial, price promotion, treatment matching or eligibility assessment is permitted.

Review source
Sourced public cases

Individual clinical courses—reported, not promised.

These neutral summaries come from peer-reviewed case reports or provider-owned public reports. They are not testimonials, representative outcomes, comparative evidence, or a treatment recommendation.

Peer-reviewed case report5 Oct 2022

HSCT complication case: chronic hepatitis E

Case context
Very severe aplastic anaemia
Treatment reported
Matched-sibling allogeneic HSCT
Setting
China multi-institution case report
Observed course
Haematological remission was reported by day 22. Chronic hepatitis E later progressed to cirrhosis; six months of ribavirin was followed by viral clearance and improved liver findings.
Safety or complication
The report illustrates serious infection and liver complications during post-transplant immunosuppression.
Reported follow-up
Multi-year course; liver reassessment 461 days after antiviral initiation

Why this cannot be generalisedA complication case supporting surveillance, not a transplant efficacy estimate or a general infection-rate claim.

Open source
Peer-reviewed case report25 Sep 2024

First-in-human stem-cell-derived islet case

Case context
Type 1 diabetes
Treatment reported
Autologous chemically induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived islets in a phase I study
Setting
Tianjin First Central Hospital
Observed course
The peer-reviewed preliminary report described insulin independence from day 75 and study endpoints met at one year.
Safety or complication
No transplant-related abnormality was identified at one-year review in the report.
Reported follow-up
One year

Why this cannot be generalisedOne first-in-human phase I participant; research only, not a marketed treatment or evidence of general safety and durability.

Open source

HarbourBridge did not treat, recruit, interview, or verify these individuals independently and has no relationship implied by inclusion.

COST / CONTROL

No defensible all-in stem-cell price range

Transplant cost depends on donor and graft route, conditioning, admission, infection, GVHD, intensive care, readmission and follow-up. A product price is not an episode price. Research participants must receive a written statement of study-related costs and injury arrangements; the applicable Chinese research rules prohibit charging participants research-related fees.

Open the interactive comparisonFind evidenced transplant centres