EFICÁCIA DA TERAPIA COM CÉLULAS-TRONCO MESENQUIMAIS NO TRATAMENTO DE LESÕES CARTILAGINOSAS

ABSTRACT Alves, Cleiber Amaro; Júnior, Everaldo de Farias. Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Cartilage Injuries. 58 f. TCC II - Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso. (Graduação em Medicina) – Afya – Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Brasil, 2025. Cartilage lesions represent a significant therapeutic challenge due to the limited capacity of cartilage regeneration. In this context, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained prominence as a promising alternative for regenerative medicine, due to their differentiation capacity and immunomodulatory action. This study carried out a systematic review of the literature, following the PRISMA guidelines, with the aim of evaluating the efficacy and safety of MSCs in the treatment of cartilage lesions. The PICO framework was used to structure the research, considering patients with cartilage lesions as the target population, the use of MSCs as the intervention, comparing them with conventional treatments (such as microfracture and placebo), and the functional improvement, tissue regeneration, and safety of the therapy as the main outcomes. Most studies reported significant clinical improvement in patients' functional scores, in addition to evidence of cartilage regeneration observed by imaging tests or histological analysis. No serious adverse events related to the use of MSCs were recorded, reinforcing their safety profile. However, considerable heterogeneity was observed between study protocols, which limits direct comparisons and reinforces the need for future standardization. It is concluded that MSCs are a safe and effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of cartilage lesions, with the potential to overcome limitations of conventional methods. Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, Regenerative medicine, Articular lesions.