---
title: "What diseases are treated with adult stem cells?"
url: "https://worldwiki.io/q/what-diseases-are-treated-with-adult-stem-cells"
type: "question"
language: "en"
intent: "informational"
entity: "Adult Stem Cell"
topic: "SVF & Adipose-derived Cells"
published: "2026-09-18 06:21:20"
updated: "2026-10-08 09:18:06"
---

# What diseases are treated with adult stem cells?

## Short answer

The established use is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and for some bone marrow and immune disorders. Skin grafts and corneal stem cell grafts for eye burns are also recognised. A bone-marrow-derived MSC product is approved in the US for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease in children. Most other claimed uses are unproven.

## Answer

In 2018, 93,105 hematopoietic cell transplants were reported worldwide [5]. Holoclar is authorised in the EU for limbal stem cell deficiency [11], and Ryoncil was approved by the FDA in December 2024 [7].

### Stem cells in cosmetic surgery

In cosmetic surgery, "stem cell" procedures almost always use [adipose-derived stem cells](/entity/adipose-derived-stem-cell). The stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which contains them, is separated from liposuctioned fat and mixed into the fat being grafted, as in [stem cell breast augmentation](/entity/stem-cell-breast-augmentation) and [stem cell fat grafting](/entity/stem-cell-fat-grafting).

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## Sources

1. [Adult Stem Cells – Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223693/) — National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (National Academies Press, via NCBI Bookshelf) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/106
2. [Multipotent to Pluripotent Properties of Adult Stem Cells](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3876920/) — Stem Cells International (Hindawi), via PubMed Central · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/107
3. [Adult stem cells and their trans-differentiation potential—perspectives and therapeutic applications](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2954191/) — Journal of Molecular Medicine (Hombach-Klonisch et al.), via PubMed Central · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/108
4. [Minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16923606/) — Cytotherapy 8(4):315-317 (Dominici et al.) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/109
5. [Continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access to hematopoietic cell transplantation: activity has doubled in a decade with a notable increase in unrelated and non-identical related donors](https://haematologica.org/article/view/haematol.2024.285002) — Haematologica (Atsuta et al.) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/110
6. [One and a half million hematopoietic stem cell transplants: continuous and differential improvement in worldwide access with the use of non-identical family donors (Niederwieser D, et al., Haematologica 107(5):1045-1053)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9052915/) — Haematologica · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/98
7. [FDA approves remestemcel-L-rknd for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease in pediatric patients](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-remestemcel-l-rknd-steroid-refractory-acute-graft-versus-host-disease-pediatric) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/111
8. [Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/consumers-biologics/consumer-alert-regenerative-medicine-products-including-stem-cells-and-exosomes) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/112
9. [Patient and Consumer Warning about Potential Serious Risks of Harm following Use of Unapproved Products from Human Cells or Tissues](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/patient-and-consumer-warning-about-potential-serious-risks-harm-following-use-unapproved-products) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/113
10. [First stem-cell therapy recommended for approval in EU (press release)](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/press-release/first-stem-cell-therapy-recommended-approval-eu_en.pdf) — European Medicines Agency · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/114
11. [Holoclar – EPAR](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/holoclar) — European Medicines Agency · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/115
12. [Stem Cell Resources for Patients](https://www.isscr.org/patients) — International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) · evidence page: https://worldwiki.io/source/99