NEWS

JSRM and JOA Announce MoU on Comprehensive Partnership

Tokyo March 19, 2025 – The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (Bunkyo, Tokyo; President: Yasuharu Nakashima; hereafter “JOA”) and the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine (Chuo, Tokyo; President: Hideyuki Okano; hereafter “JSRM”) formally concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 16, 2025. This MOU establishes a comprehensive partnership aimed at fostering cooperation in academia, industry, and policy, with the ultimate goal of advancing orthopaedic regenerative medicine and promoting the dissemination of safe and effective novel medical technologies to enhance global health.
This agreement marks a pivotal step in strengthening cooperative frameworks between the JOA and JSRM, leveraging the expertise and networks of both organizations. The MOU outlines the following key areas of collaboration:

1. Facilitation of joint research, translational application, and industrial implementation of orthopaedic regenerative medicine
2. Organization of academic conferences and knowledge exchange on scientific, regulatory, and legal aspects of orthopaedic regenerative medicine
3. Joint public engagement and outreach initiatives to promote orthopaedic regenerative medicine and evidence-based medical advancements
4. Further collaborations in additional domains as mutually agreed upon by both organizations

Advancing Evidence-Based Orthopaedic Regenerative Medicine
In recent years, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a form of regenerative medicine, has garnered attention as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OAK). To scientifically validate its clinical efficacy, the JOA and the JSRM are initiating a multi-institutional non-commercial clinical study that aims to establish a highly reliable control dataset.
Specifically, by collecting historical control data from hyaluronic acid-treated patients across multiple institutions, the study will establish a comparative framework for novel treatment modalities. The Regenerative Medicine Evidence Accumulation Platform (REAP), JSRM’s proprietary regenerative medicine EDC platform, will serve as the data registry, ensuring the Good Post Marketing Surveillance Practice (GPSP) quality and standardization of collected data.

Statements from Key Stakeholders
Yasuharu Nakashima, President of the JOA
“The signing of this comprehensive MOU with JSRM is recognized as a highly significant milestone. The appropriate use of regenerative medicine is a crucial issue that cannot be overlooked in the advancement of orthopaedic surgery. Developing new treatments and establishing evidence for musculoskeletal diseases, particularly osteoarthritis of the knee, remains an urgent mission for us. This agreement will enable the integration of the clinical research expertise cultivated by JOA over many years with the cutting-edge regenerative medicine technologies of JSRM, facilitating the development of treatment strategies based on robust scientific evidence. Moving forward, both societies are expected to further strengthen their collaboration and drive meaningful initiatives.”

Hideyuki Okano, President of the JSRM
“In Japan, regenerative medicine approaches for orthopaedic disorders, particularly knee osteoarthritis, have grown to represent the third-largest segment within the field. However, the clinical efficacy of cell therapy for OA remains a subject of ongoing debate, as evidenced by statements from European scientific societies and clinical trial results from the United States. If JOA and JSRM—two key divisions of the Japan Medical Association—collaborate to reach a definitive conclusion on this issue, the impact will extend far beyond Japan, influencing global discourse in regenerative medicine.”

Kyosuke Mano, Secretary General of JSRM
“Musculoskeletal disorders impose the highest economic burden of any disease category, with estimated global costs reaching $2.75 trillion annually [1]. The urgent need for transformative solutions highlights the importance of regenerative medicine as a potential paradigm shift. JOA’s nearly century-long leadership in orthopaedic innovation, particularly in the development of artificial joint technologies, combined with JSRM’s multidisciplinary expertise spanning biomedicine, ethics, regulatory science, and health economics, marks the beginning of a landmark collaboration aimed at addressing this critical global challenge.”

About the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA)
The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), established in 1926, is dedicated to advancing orthopaedic science and musculoskeletal research while disseminating knowledge to improve clinical practice. With approximately 26,000 members, the association organizes academic conferences, supports society-led research, publishes peer-reviewed journals, and oversees medical specialist training. Beyond academia, the JOA actively engages in policy advocacy and educational initiatives, contributing to public health by promoting locomotor health maintenance and disease prevention.

About the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine (JSRM)
The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine (JSRM) is the largest academic society in regenerative medicine globally, with over 6,000 members spanning diverse fields, including basic and clinical sciences, tissue engineering, bioethics, regulatory science, and health policy. JSRM serves as a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, and policymakers to collaborate on regenerative medicine development and implementation. The society actively engages in policy advocacy, develops industry standards, and hosts international academic conferences to drive scientific and regulatory advancements in regenerative medicine.

[1] World Health Organization. Musculoskeletal conditions [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2022 Apr 8 [cited 2025 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions.

For more information, please contact:
Foreign Affairs Office, Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine
Email: foreignaffairs@jsrm.jp