Regenerative medicine and cell therapies (RMCTs) focus on repairing, replacing, and restoring function to tissues or organs that have been damaged due to disease, trauma, or congenital issues. Many different types of cells are used in these therapies, including mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs, which can be derived from bone marrow, cord blood or cord tissue, adipose tissue, placenta or other sources), hematopoietic stem cells, skeletal muscle stem cells, lymphocytes, induced pluripotent stem cells, and many others. There are thousands of clinical trials underway to explore the use of RMCTs for many conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, degenerative joint conditions, neurological conditions, wound healing, and most recently, COVID-19.

Over the coming months, NFL Alumni, in collaboration with Alliance for Cell Therapy Now, will provide NFL Alumni members and the public with the educational resources they need to address their questions about RMCTs, including what they are, the science behind them, their benefits and risks, and the questions patients should be asking, before engaging in clinical trials and treatments for various conditions.