Scaling up human mesenchymal stem cell manufacturing using bioreactors for clinical uses

•Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are the most promising pharmaceutical multipotent stem cells.•Despite the vast potential, the hMSCs therapeutic use is still limited by the necessity of in vitro expansion.•Expansion of hMSCs in two-dimensional culture is discussed.•Key strengths and limitations of the most widely used bioreactors for generation of clinical grade hMSCs are summarized.•The challenges for further development of hMSCs manufacturing platforms and the ideal microcarrier for mass production of hMSCs for clinical translation are discussed.