What is CARTISTEM, and is it the same as the stem cell therapy offered at Aloha Stem Cell?

CARTISTEM is a cell therapy made from donated umbilical cord blood, developed by the South Korean company MEDIPOST. It is allogeneic, meaning the cells come from a donor rather than from the patient, and it is being studied as an injection into the knee for cartilage damage from osteoarthritis. The FDA cleared the U.S. Phase 3 program in February 2026, the trial began enrolling in July 2026, and the first U.S. patient was treated in September 2026.

Aloha Stem Cell's treatments are autologous: your own cells and platelets, collected and prepared in the clinic and delivered by guided injection. CARTISTEM is a manufactured donor-derived product given only inside a clinical trial. It is not FDA-approved, and no stem cell product is approved for knee osteoarthritis as of October 2026.

When you see a headline about a stem cell therapy for knees, ask whether it is an approved treatment, an investigational trial product, or a clinic marketing unapproved cells. CARTISTEM is in the middle category: promising enough to study in a large trial, and not yet available to patients outside it. Our team is happy to help you read the news honestly.