Regenerative and Biologic Therapies for Musculoskeletal Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Musculoskeletal disorders represent one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people and imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems and quality of life. Conditions such as osteoarthritis, tendinopathies, muscle injuries, bone defects, or nerve lesions share a common challenge: the limited intrinsic regenerative capacity of musculoskeletal tissues, which often renders conventional treatments insufficient for achieving true biological repair. As populations age and physical demands increase, the gap between clinical need and available therapeutic options continues to widen.

In recent years, regenerative and biologic therapies have emerged as a transformative paradigm in musculoskeletal medicine. Advances in cell-based therapies, growth factors, platelet-rich plasma, extracellular vesicles, biomaterials, and gene editing tools are reshaping our understanding of tissue repair and opening new avenues for both conservative and surgical management. The translation of these strategies from bench to bedside remains an active and rapidly evolving field, requiring rigorous preclinical validation, well-designed clinical trials, and a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms involved.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to Regenerative and Biologic Therapies for Musculoskeletal Disorders. We welcome clinically relevant studies, including mechanistic insights that directly inform clinical practice, clinical studies, and real-world evidence, with a focus on innovative approaches that have the potential to redefine the standard of care.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cell-based therapies for musculoskeletal regeneration and tissue repair
• Blood-derived biologics and regenerative therapies in orthopaedics and sports medicine
• Extracellular vesicles and exosomes as emerging therapies for musculoskeletal repair
• Growth factors and cytokine-based approaches for tissue healing and regeneration
• Gene therapy and gene editing strategies in musculoskeletal medicine
• Osteoarthritis: pathophysiology, biomarkers, and biologic disease modification
• Tendon and ligament regeneration
• Cartilage repair and chondroprotection
• Bone regeneration and defect reconstruction
• Nerve biology and regenerative strategies
• Skeletal muscle repair and regeneration: satellite cells, myokines, and biologic interventions
• Muscle-tendon unit dysfunction and biologic approaches to restore function
• Preclinical models for musculoskeletal regeneration research
• Combination strategies: biologics with rehabilitation or surgery

Dr. Diego Delgado
Dr. Mikel Sánchez Sánchez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• regenerative medicine
• musculoskeletal disorders
• cell-based therapy
• platelet-rich plasma
• extracellular vesicles
• tissue engineering
• osteoarthritis
• tendon
• cartilage
• bone
• skeletal muscle
• translational research
• preclinical research
• clinical research