Pharmaceutical composition comprising hyaluronic acid and stem cells for treating cartilage damage-associated disease

A method for treating a subject with a cartilage damage-associated disease, comprising steps of:

• (i) administering a first composition that is a hyaluronic acid solution consisting of hyaluronic acid, a salt thereof, or a derivative thereof, dissolved in a physiological saline, phosphate buffered saline, or a biocompatible saline, to the subject;
• and
• (ii) administering a second composition comprising mesenchymal stem cells to the subject, at an interval of 1 hour to 48 hours after step (i),
• thereby treating the cartilage damage-associated disease,
• wherein the mesenchymal stem cells of step (ii) are derived from umbilical cord blood,
• wherein the hyaluronic acid solution of step (i) has a concentration of 0.5% (w/v) to 1% (w/v) of hyaluronic acid, a salt thereof, or a derivative thereof,
• wherein the administration of the first and second compositions increases bone trabecular number and decreases bone trabecular separation in the subject,
• wherein the first composition is an injection formulation of hyaluronic acid solution, and
• wherein the second composition of step (ii) is an injection formulation of mesenchymal stem cell solution, is free from hyaluronic acid, prepared as a separate formulation from the hyaluronic acid solution by suspending mesenchymal stem cells in physiological saline, phosphate buffered saline, biocompatible saline, or culture medium.