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Review
. 2008 Oct;49(10):1009-17.

Concepts for the clinical use of stem cells in equine medicine

Thomas G Koch  1 , Lise C Berg, Dean H Betts
Affiliations
Review

Concepts for the clinical use of stem cells in equine medicine

Thomas G Koch et al. Can Vet J. 2008 Oct.

Abstract
in English, French

Stem cells from various tissues hold great promise for their therapeutic use in horses, but so far efficacy or proof-of-principle has not been established. The basic characteristics and properties of various equine stem cells remain largely unknown, despite their increasingly widespread experimental and empirical commercial use. A better understanding of equine stem cell biology and concepts is needed in order to develop and evaluate rational clinical applications in the horse. Controlled, well-designed studies of the basic biologic characteristics and properties of these cells are needed to move this new equine research field forward. Stem cell research in the horse has exciting equine specific and comparative perspectives that will most likely benefit the health of horses and, potentially, humans.

Concepts pour l’utilisation clinique des cellules souches en médecine équine. Les cellules souches provenant de différents tissus suscitent de grands espoirs en thérapeutique équine mais jusqu’à maintenant la preuve de leur efficacité ou le principe même de leur utilité n’a pas été établi. Les caractéristiques de base et les propriétés des diverses cellules souches équines demeurent largement inconnues en dépit d’une augmentation des indications expérimentales et d’une utilisation commerciale empirique. Une meilleure compréhension de la biologie des cellules souches équines et des concepts impliqués est nécessaire pour développer et évaluer des applications cliniques rationnelles chez le cheval. Des études contrôlées et bien planifiées sur les caractéristiques et les propriétés biologiques de base de ces cellules sont nécessaires pour faire évoluer ce nouveau champ de recherche. La recherche sur les cellules souches du cheval ouvre des perspectives enlevantes tant pour l’espèce équine que pour la médecine comparative. Ces avancées pourront vraisemblablement améliorer la santé équine et, potentiellement, la santé humaine.

(Traduit par Docteur André Blouin)

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stem cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew (asymmetrical cell division), proliferate extensively in vitro, and differentiate into one or more tissue types. Depending on the stem cells ability to make tissue types of 2 or 3 germ layer origin and extra-embryonic tissues they are called multipotent, pluripotent, or totipotent, respectively. The term multipotent, however, is most commonly used to describe the ability of a stem cell to become multiple tissue types within 1 germ layer, such as the mesenchymal stem cells of mesoderm origin. If the stem cell can give rise to only 1 tissue type, it is regarded as being unipotent. Figure by Koch and Berg.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stem cells can be derived from embryonic, fetal, neonatal, and adult tissues. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are most commonly isolated from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst. Blastocysts can be produced in vivo after natural or artificial insemination or in vitro by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) or by in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques. Mitotically arrested cellular feeder-layers are often used for embryonic stem cell isolation and expansion, although human and mouse ESCs have been derived under feeder free conditions. Adult and neonatal stem cells are mononuclear cells and are isolated from the mononuclear cell fraction (MNCF) or stromal-vascular fraction (SFC) depending on the cell source. The optimal stem cell state for storage, therapy, in vitro differentiation, cell-based therapies, and tissue engineering purposes is currently undetermined. Figure by Koch and Berg.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The concept of stem cell plasticity or transdifferentiation ability is controversial, but refers to the possibility that tissue-specific (unipotent) stem cells can “break-out” of the unipotent restriction and become other tissues. Figure by Koch and Berg.
Figure 4
Figure 4
a — undifferentiated mesenchymal-like stem cells from equine umbilical cord blood showing fibroblast-like morphology growing in a monolayer adherent to the plastic culture dish. b — the monolayer stem cells (a) were detached, suspended in solution, and made into a cell pellet, which was exposed to chondrogenic differentiation medium for 2 wk in vitro. Microscopic examination shows hyaline-like cartilage morphology and the intercellular matrix is highly positive to safranin O staining (red) of glycosaminoglycans, supportive of successful chondrogenesis. Figure shown with permission from Koch et al (11).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mesenchymal stem cells may function in 2 ways after transplantation: direct tissue integration contributing to physical tissue regeneration and restoration of tissue function, and through secretory products that have trophic effects on the resident cells of the tissue and immunosuppressive effect on lymphocytes. The possible immunomodulating effects might allow the therapeutic use of allogenic adult mesenchymal stem cells in immune competent patients. Figure adapted from Caplan (47).
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