# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Mesenchymal stem cell research Papers, Class of 2026

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## What topics and trends defined most-cited Mesenchymal stem cell research research in the Class of 2026?

Mesenchymal stem cell research in the Class of 2026 pivoted toward redox regulation, organelle transfer, and single-cell resolution. ROS scavenging emerged while NF-κB signaling and single-cell RNA sequencing quadrupled. Meanwhile, research on raw adipose and bone marrow MSC sources contracted in relative share as focus shifted to cell-free exosomes and bio-functional GelMA hydrogels.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Mesenchymal stem cell research |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 5,184 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Adipose-derived MSCs, Exosomes/Extracellular vesicles, Immunomodulation, Macrophage polarization, Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 31–141 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Exosome-coated oxygen nanobubble-laden hydrogel augments intracellular delivery of exosomes for enhanced wound healing | Xiaoxue Han, Chaimongkol Saengow, Leah Ju, Wen Ren, Randy H Ewoldt, Joseph Irudayaraj | Joseph Irudayaraj | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States | Nature Communications | 141 | 10.1038/s41467-024-47696-5 |
| 2 | Curcumin-primed olfactory mucosa-derived mesenchymal stem cells mitigate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced neuronal PANoptosis by modulating microglial polarization | Ziwei Lan, Fengbo Tan, Jialin He, Jianyang Liu, Ming Lu, Zhiping Hu, Yi Zhuo, JunJiang Liu, Xiangqi Tang, Zheng Jiang, Aojie Lian, Yongheng Chen, Yan Huang | Ziwei Lan, Yan Huang | Central South University, China | Phytomedicine | 114 | 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155635 |
| 3 | Generation of complex bone marrow organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells | Stephanie Frenz-Wiessner, Savannah D Fairley, Maximilian Buser, Isabel Goek, Kirill Salewskij, Gustav Jonsson, David Illig, Benedicta Zu Putlitz, Daniel Petersheim, Yue Li, Pin-Hsuan Chen, Martina Kalauz, Raffaele Conca, Michael Sterr, Johanna Geuder, Yoko Mizoguchi, Remco T A Megens, Monika I Linder, Daniel Kotlarz, Martina Rudelius, Josef M Penninger, Carsten Marr, Christoph Klein | Christoph Klein | Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany | Nature Methods | 69 | 10.1038/s41592-024-02172-2 |
| 4 | Delphi-driven consensus definition for mesenchymal stromal cells and clinical reporting guidelines for mesenchymal stromal cell–based therapeutics | Laurent Renesme, Kelly D. Cobey, Manoj M. Lalu, Tania Bubela, Raghavan Chinnadurai, John De Vos, P. Rod Dunbar, Dean Fergusson, Daniel Freund, Jacques Galipeau, Edwin M. Horwitz, Maxime Lê, Michael A. Matthay, David Moher, Jan A. Nolta, Graham B. Parker, Donald G. Phinney, Mahendra Rao, John E.J. Rasko, Patrícia R. M. Rocco, Fabio Rossi, M Myles, Sowmya Viswanathan, Bernard Thébaud | Bernard Thébaud | Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada | Cytotherapy | 64 | 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.10.008 |
| 5 | Safety and potential effects of intrathecal injection of allogeneic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in complete subacute spinal cord injury: a first-in-human, single-arm, open-label, phase I clinical trial | Mohammadhosein Akhlaghpasand, Roozbeh Tavanaei, Maede Hosseinpoor, Kaveh Oraii Yazdani, Afsane Soleimani, Mojtaba Yousefi Zoshk, Masoud Soleimani, Mohsen Chamanara, Mahdi Ghorbani, Mohammad Deylami, Alireza Zali, Reza Heidari, Saeed Oraee-Yazdani | Reza Heidari, Saeed Oraee‐Yazdani | AJA University of Medical Sciences, Iran | Stem Cell Research & Therapy | 63 | 10.1186/s13287-024-03868-0 |
| 6 | Intrathecal delivery of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in traumatic spinal cord injury: Phase I trial | Mohamad Bydon, Wenchun Qu, F M Moinuddin, Christine L Hunt, Kristin L Garlanger, Ronald K Reeves, Anthony J Windebank, Kristin D Zhao, Ryan Jarrah, Brandon C Trammell, Sally El Sammak, Giorgos D Michalopoulos, Konstantinos Katsos, Stephen P Graepel, Kimberly L Seidel-Miller, Lisa A Beck, Ruple S Laughlin, Allan B Dietz | Mohamad Bydon | Mayo Clinic, United States | Nature Communications | 55 | 10.1038/s41467-024-46259-y |
| 7 | An injury-induced mesenchymal-epithelial cell niche coordinates regenerative responses in the lung | Dakota L Jones, Michael P Morley, Xinyuan Li, Yun Ying, Gan Zhao, Sarah E Schaefer, Luis R Rodriguez, Fabian L Cardenas-Diaz, Shanru Li, Su Zhou, Ullas V Chembazhi, Mijeong Kim, Chen Shen, Ana Nottingham, Susan M Lin, Edward Cantu, Joshua M Diamond, Maria C Basil, Andrew E Vaughan, Edward E Morrisey | Edward E. Morrisey | University of Pennsylvania, United States | Science | 54 | 10.1126/science.ado5561 |
| 8 | Piezoelectric hydrogel for treatment of periodontitis through bioenergetic activation | Xin Liu, Xingyi Wan, Baiyan Sui, Quanhong Hu, Zhirong Liu, Tingting Ding, Jiao Zhao, Yuxiao Chen, Zhong Lin Wang, Linlin Li | Xin Liu, Zhong Lin Wang, Linlin Li | Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China | Bioactive Materials | 53 | 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.02.011 |
| 9 | Exosomes from hypoxic urine-derived stem cells facilitate healing of diabetic wound by targeting SERPINE1 through miR-486-5p | Ming-Hui Fan, Xiu-Zhen Zhang, Yan-Lin Jiang, Jin-Kui Pi, Ji-Ye Zhang, Yue-Qi Zhang, Fei Xing, Hui-Qi Xie | Huiqi Xie | Sichuan University, China | Biomaterials | 52 | 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122893 |
| 10 | Cause and consequence of heterogeneity in human mesenchymal stem cells: Challenges in clinical application | Zhao Lyu, Miaomiao Xin, Dale Reece Oyston, Tingyu Xue, Hong Kang, Xiangling Wang, Zheng Wang, Qian Li | Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Qian Li | Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital, China | Pathology - Research and Practice | 51 | 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155354 |
| 11 | Engineering exosomes derived from TNF-α preconditioned IPFP-MSCs enhance both yield and therapeutic efficacy for osteoarthritis | Jiangyi Wu, Jinhui Wu, Wei Xiang, Yunquan Gong, Daibo Feng, Shunzheng Fang, Yaran Wu, Zheng Liu, Yang Li, Ran Chen, Xiaoqi Zhang, Bingfei Li, Lifeng Chen, Runze Jin, Song Li, Bin Zhang, Tongyi Zhang, Lin Yin, Yizhao Zhou, Shu Huang, Ningning Liu, Hao Xu, Jiqin Lian, Yongqian Wang, Siru Zhou, Zhenhong Ni | Yongqian Wang, Siru Zhou, Zhenhong Ni | Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, China | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | 48 | 10.1186/s12951-024-02795-9 |
| 12 | LNP-RNA-engineered adipose stem cells for accelerated diabetic wound healing | Yonger Xue, Yuebao Zhang, Yichen Zhong, Shi Du, Xucheng Hou, Wenqing Li, Haoyuan Li, Siyu Wang, Chang Wang, Jingyue Yan, Diana D Kang, Binbin Deng, David W McComb, Darrell J Irvine, Ron Weiss, Yizhou Dong | Yizhou Dong | The Ohio State University, United States | Nature Communications | 41 | 10.1038/s41467-024-45094-5 |
| 13 | TGF-β1 mediates hypoxia-preconditioned olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem cells improved neural functional recovery in Parkinson’s disease models and patients | Yi Zhuo, Wen-Shui Li, Wen Lu, Xuan Li, Li-Te Ge, Yan Huang, Qing-Tao Gao, Yu-Jia Deng, Xin-Chen Jiang, Zi-Wei Lan, Que Deng, Yong-Heng Chen, Yi Xiao, Shuo Lu, Feng Jiang, Zuo Liu, Li Hu, Yu Liu, Yu Ding, Zheng-Wen He, De-An Tan, Da Duan, Ming Lu | De-An Tan, Da Duan, Ming Lu | 921 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force People's Liberation Army of China, China | Military Medical Research | 39 | 10.1186/s40779-024-00550-7 |
| 14 | Effectiveness of Exosome Treatment in Androgenetic Alopecia: Outcomes of a Prospective Study | Mert Ersan, Emre Ozer, Ozlem Akin, Pakize Neslihan Tasli, Fikrettin Sahin | Mert Ersan | Yeditepe University, Turkey | Aesthetic Plastic Surgery | 36 | 10.1007/s00266-024-04332-3 |
| 15 | Multifunctional Scaffold Comprising Metal–Organic Framework, Hydrogel, and Demineralized Bone Matrix for the Treatment of Steroid‐Induced Femoral Head Necrosis | Liangjie Bai, Xiaolei Zhang, Wei Shen, Peng Wang, Xin Yin, Jianing Liu, Hailun Xu, Bing Liu, Zhentao Man, Wei Li | Bin Liu, Zhentao Man, Wei Li | Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, China | Small | 35 | 10.1002/smll.202407758 |
| 16 | Connexin 43 regulates intercellular mitochondrial transfer from human mesenchymal stromal cells to chondrocytes | Rebecca M Irwin, Matthew A Thomas, Megan J Fahey, María D Mayán, James W Smyth, Michelle L Delco | Michelle L. Delco | Cornell University, United States | Stem Cell Research & Therapy | 33 | 10.1186/s13287-024-03932-9 |
| 17 | Exosomes loaded a smart bilayer-hydrogel scaffold with ROS-scavenging and macrophage-reprogramming properties for repairing cartilage defect | Xiaoqing Lu, Shimin Dai, Benzhao Huang, Shishuo Li, Peng Wang, Zhibo Zhao, Xiao Li, Ningbo Li, Jie Wen, Yunhan Sun, Zhentao Man, Bing Liu, Wei Li | Shishuo Li, Ningbo Li, Ningbo Li, Zhentao Man, Bing Liu, Wei Li | Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, China | Bioactive Materials | 33 | 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.04.017 |
| 18 | Glycoengineered extracellular vesicles released from antibacterial hydrogel facilitate diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis | Kewei Wang, Qin He, Mengmeng Yang, Qincheng Qiao, Jun Chen, Jia Song, Nan Zang, Huiqing Hu, Longqing Xia, Yingyue Xiang, Fei Yan, Xinguo Hou, Li Chen | Xinguo Hou, Li Chen | Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China | Journal of Extracellular Vesicles | 33 | 10.1002/jev2.70013 |
| 19 | 3D culture of alginate-hyaluronic acid hydrogel supports the stemness of human mesenchymal stem cells | Amorn Pangjantuk, Palakorn Kaokaen, Phongsakorn Kunhorm, Nipha Chaicharoenaudomrung, Parinya Noisa | Parinya Noisa | Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand | Scientific Reports | 31 | 10.1038/s41598-024-54912-1 |
| 20 | Human placental mesenchymal stromal cell‐derived small extracellular vesicles as a treatment for severe COVID‐19: A double‐blind randomized controlled clinical trial | Mohammad Hossein Zamanian, Amir Hossein Norooznezhad, Zohreh Hosseinkhani, Daryoush Hassaninia, Feizollah Mansouri, Siavash Vaziri, Mehrdad Payandeh, Fatemeh Heydarpour, Sara Kiani, Maria Shirvani, Mojgan Rajati, Mitra Bakhtiari, Farzaneh Esmaili, Reza Yarani, Kamran Mansouri | Reza Yarani, Kamran Mansouri | Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran | Journal of Extracellular Vesicles | 31 | 10.1002/jev2.12492 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

Research in the Class of 2026 for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) research is strongly defined by paracrine cell-free therapies, bio-functional hydrogels, and deep cellular immunomodulation. Extracellular vesicles and MSC-derived exosomes (featured in 15% and 10% of top papers, respectively) dominate therapeutic modalities, reflecting a field-wide shift toward acellular therapeutics over direct cell transplantation. Specific cell sources remain evenly balanced between adipose-derived MSCs (15%) and bone marrow MSCs (15%). Mechanistically, regenerative efficacy is tightly coupled with immunomodulation (15%) and macrophage polarization (15%), alongside rising attention to reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging (7.5%) to alleviate oxidative stress in microenvironments. In tissue engineering, bone regeneration (10%) and osteogenesis (15%) lead functional applications, heavily supported by advanced biomaterial matrices such as gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA, 10%) and hydrogel scaffolds. Clinically, diabetic wound healing (10%) and cartilage repair (7.5%) serve as primary target pathologies. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing (10%) and NF-κB signaling pathway analysis (10%) represent core analytical approaches, highlighting a mechanistic push to decode MSC heterogeneity and inflammatory signaling during tissue repair.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 (2023 publications) to the Class of 2026 (2024 publications) reveals a transition from general stem cell profiling toward specialized microenvironmental organelle transfer, redox regulation, and high-resolution omics. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging surged from zero baseline mentions in 2023 to 7.5% in 2024, accompanied by a nearly 5-fold rise in NF-κB signaling pathway studies (rising from 2.1% to 10.0%). Next-generation transcriptomics saw dramatic gains, with single-cell RNA sequencing doubling (4.2% to 10.0%) and broader RNA sequencing expanding nearly 5-fold (2.1% to 10.0%). Novel biophysical mechanisms also gained momentum, marked by the emergence of intercellular mitochondrial transfer, YAP mechanotransduction, and dental pulp stem cells (all emerging from 0% in 2023 to 5.0% in 2024). Conversely, foundational topic shares contracted: adipose-derived MSCs dropped from 29.2% (14 papers) to 15.0% (6 papers), while bone marrow MSCs fell from 22.9% (11 papers) to 15.0% (6 papers). Similarly, broad functional endpoints like cartilage repair and angiogenesis contracted from 12.5% to 7.5%. This evolution highlights a field moving beyond descriptive stem cell characterization toward targeted organelle dynamics, oxidative stress control, and single-cell resolution therapeutics.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Mesenchymal stem cell research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/mesenchymal-stem-cell-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
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