Survivability and Functionality of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells following Implantationin Tendon Regeneration in Rabbit Model

Introduction It has been well documented that bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are progenitors of various structural and connective tissues, including bone, cartilage, and fat. Recent studies reported that MSCs could suppress lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and allogeneic MSCs implanted by systemic infusion could “home” to bone marrow of nonMHC matched baboons. These results have positive implication on the application of allogeneic MSCs for on-site tissue repair. Although autologous MSCs exhibited the potential for tendon repair, there is no report tracing the behaviors of the exogenous MSCs after implantation in tendon site. Furthermore the possibility of allogeneic MSCs for tendon repair has not yet been evaluated. As such, the prupose of this study is to investigate the fate and function of allogeneic MSCs after local delivery to tendon sites for repair and regeneration.