Abstract
Recent regulatory approvals and maturing clinical evidence indicate that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) exert therapeutic effects predominantly through paracrine and immunomodulatory mechanisms rather than lineage-driven regeneration. In line with contemporary positions from International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy and Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine, we argue for mechanism-aligned terminology and propose framing these interventions as MSC-based immunomodulatory therapies. This terminology improves scientific clarity, aligns clinical endpoints and potency assays with the mechanism of action, facilitates coherent regulatory communication, and mitigates public misunderstanding tied to the legacy "stem cell" label.