Short answer: This page does not tell you whether you can or should have stem cell treatment. That is a question for your own doctor. What it does is report, from sources we opened on 7 November 2026, which situations researchers and regulators list as reasons to ask a doctor before treatment, or to wait. The items come from the exclusion lists of two registered clinical trials, plus advice from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and the US FDA.
One limit first. We looked for a medical guideline or review that lists who should not have stem cell treatment and did not find one we could open. A trial's exclusion list is written for that trial only: it protects participants and keeps the study's results clean. Treat each row below as "a trial excluded this," not as "a doctor will refuse you."
What two registered trials excluded
The two trials are a knee osteoarthritis trial (NCT05288725, record last updated 21 March 2022) and a hip osteoarthritis trial that uses the patient's own fat-derived cells (NCT03608579, record last updated 17 November 2025). Both lists are public on ClinicalTrials.gov.
| Situation | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Active cancer or a history of cancer | The knee trial excluded anyone with an active malignancy or a history of any malignancy, and set a wait of more than 5 years after treatment for certain cancers. The hip trial excluded a history of cancer, except adequately treated skin cancers not linked to the target hip. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Current infection | The knee trial excluded fever, active infection and ongoing infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis. The hip trial excluded ongoing infectious disease, a history of infection inside the hip joint, and a recent or current skin infection near the hip. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding | Both trials excluded people who were pregnant or nursing. The knee trial also asked people who could become pregnant to avoid sexual activity or use effective birth control for up to 90 days after treatment. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Bleeding disorders or blood thinners | The knee trial excluded a history of severe anemia or bleeding disorders and people taking drugs such as Plavix or Coumadin. The hip trial excluded people taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, heparin or clopidogrel and people with a significant blood disorder. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Diabetes or other serious illness | The knee trial excluded clinically significant diabetes (HbA1c above 7 percent) and cardiovascular, liver or kidney disease. The hip trial excluded clinically significant cardiovascular, neurologic, kidney, liver or endocrine disease, naming diabetes as an example. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Recent steroid or other joint injection | The knee trial excluded injections into the affected knee within 6 weeks, any injection (steroid, viscosupplement, PRP or other stem cell therapy) in the last 3 months, and steroids taken by mouth or injected into the body within 6 weeks. The hip trial excluded any injection into the target hip within 3 months and ongoing systemic steroid use. | NCT05288725; NCT03608579 |
| Weakened immune system or some medicines | The hip trial excluded people with a chronically suppressed immune system, including systemic steroid use. Both trials excluded anti-rheumatic drugs such as methotrexate. | NCT03608579; NCT05288725 |
| Unable to comply with the plan | The hip trial required willingness to comply with fat harvesting, tests, imaging and follow-up visits. The knee trial excluded people with a history of noncompliance. | NCT03608579; NCT05288725 |
Why infection and follow-up matter outside a trial
Two of these items connect to wider advice. The FDA says it has received reports of serious harms from unapproved stem cell products, including blindness, tumor formation and bacterial infections that can be life-threatening. That is a general warning about unapproved products, not a list of who is at risk, but it shows why an active infection is a topic for your doctor.
On follow-up, the ISSCR's question list for people considering a trial asks how long contact will last, "months or even years" after you enroll. If you live abroad, a trial-style requirement to attend follow-up visits may be hard to meet, so ask what the clinic offers by video or message and what records you will take home.
What we could not source
Unrealistic expectations are often named as a reason to pause, but we found no opened source that lists them, so they are not in the table. The ISSCR does warn that patients can sometimes see a perceived benefit that is not caused by the treatment itself, and that without careful clinical research it is hard to know what to expect. Ask any clinic what result it expects for your condition, and what published evidence it relies on.
What to do before you book
- Write down your health history: cancer, infections, pregnancy plans, blood disorders, diabetes, heart, liver or kidney disease, and every medicine or supplement you take. The trials above also listed supplements, over-the-counter pain relievers and herbal products.
- Note the dates of any injection into the joint you want treated.
- Take that list, and the clinic's written answers to our 10 questions, to your own doctor before you book.
- Read Stem cell clinic red flags so you know which answers should worry you.
- For one condition in depth, see Stem cells for knee osteoarthritis.
More on stem cell therapy in Bangkok: published prices and five questions to ask any clinic.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this list a set of rules for who can have treatment?
No. The lists come from two research trials that wrote their own entry rules to protect participants and keep their results clean. They are not a medical standard, and they say nothing about any clinic in Bangkok. We use them because we could not open a general guideline.
What if I have one of these conditions and a clinic says it is fine?
Ask the clinic to put in writing why it thinks the treatment is suitable for you, and show that reply to your own doctor. The ISSCR says to seek a second opinion from a trusted, qualified physician and not to be rushed or financially enticed.
Why would a recent steroid or other joint injection matter?
We did not find a source that explains the reason. The two trials we opened set waiting times: no injection into the affected knee within 6 weeks of the cell injection and no recent steroid, viscosupplement or PRP injection in the last 3 months in one trial, and no injection of any kind into the target hip within 3 months in the other. Ask your own doctor what waiting time applies to you.
Does this page cover every health risk?
No. It lists only items that an opened source names. Your own doctor knows your history and may know of other reasons to wait.
Sources
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis (NCT05288725), eligibility criteria
- Autologous Culture Expanded Adipose Derived MSCs for Treatment of Painful Hip OA (NCT03608579), eligibility criteria
- The ISSCR Guide to Stem Cell Treatments
- Important Patient and Consumer Information About Regenerative Medicine Therapies
You pay us nothing. Once clinics join, they cover our costs, which can include a referral fee. This means we will have a financial interest in you going ahead with a clinic we suggest.
A patient referral service, not a medical provider. This page is general information and does not replace advice from a doctor who knows your case. For most conditions named here, stem cell therapy is not standard treatment in Thailand, and results vary.