Tenogenesis of Equine Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: In vitro Versus In vivo

Background: Tendon injuries are a major cause of orthopaedic injuries, and often compromise the return to the same performance level. Therefore, different regenerative therapies, such as Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) have been explored to improve tendon healing in horses. However, ectopic bone formation of undifferentiated cells is a major concern, because of reports of this phenomenon, after intralesional injections of MSCs in rabbit Achilles tendons. Methods: After MSC and PRP isolation of the Peripheral Blood (PB) of a donor horse, tenogenic induction of the MSCs (Tendo-Cell®) was confirmed through morphological changes and immunohistochemistry stainings. Secondly, the safety and clinical effects (ultrasound imaging) of Tendo-Cell®, in combination with PRP, was evaluated after a single intralesional injection in the lateral edge of the Superficial Digital flexor tendon (SDFT) (n=10) and the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament (SL) (n=15) in 25 horses. Different independent veterinary practitioners were asked to give a score from 0-5, at approximately 6 weeks after treatment (0=no ultrasonic improvement and 5=no ultrasonic abnormalities, the tendon has the same consistency and fiber orientation as the contralateral tendon). Results: In 96% of the patients, the same positive evolution was noticed on the ultrasound images, and this was translated to a score 3 or more (≥ 60% improvement or better than a successful conservative therapy). In addition, for both tendons (SDFT & SL), 40% of the horses received a score 5. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study is the first to describe the treatment of lesions in the SDFT and SL, with allogenic tenogenic induced PB-derived MSCs, in combination with PRP, with a positive outcome in 24 out of the 25 horses. Citation: Broeckx S, Zimmerman M, Aerts D, Seys B, Suls M, et al. (2012) Tenogenesis of Equine Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: In vitro Versus In vivo. J Tissue Sci Eng S11:001. doi:10.4172/2157-7552.S11-001