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Equine veterinary journal2023; doi: 10.1111/evj.14008

Equine allogeneic tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells: A clinical field study in horses suffering from naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament injuries.

Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells are an innovative therapeutic for various equine orthopaedic diseases, including soft tissue injuries. Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of tenogenic primed equine allogeneic peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) in horses with naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SL) injuries. Methods: Multicentre, blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods: One hundred client-owned horses with SDFT and SL injuries were randomised to receive an intralesional tpMSC (66) or saline (34) injection. Clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation was performed before treatment and on Days 56 ± 3 and 112 ± 3 after treatment. Long-term data on re-injury was collected up to 2 years after treatment. Results: Significantly more tpMSC-treated horses achieved improvement in fibre alignment score (FAS) (100% vs. 54.5%, p < 0.001) and echogenicity (97.0% vs. 57.6%, p < 0.001) on Day 112 ± 3, and their lesion size decreased significantly (-27.6 ± 25.91 vs. -4.6 ± 26.64 mm , p < 0.001) compared to the placebo group. A FAS = 0 was achieved in 65% of tpMSC-treated horses, as compared to 9% of placebo-treated horses at Day 112 ± 3. The attending veterinarians reported no re-injury in 41 of 53 tpMSC and in 2 of 26 saline-treated horses available for long-term follow-up (p < 0.001). Conclusions: As this study consisted of client-owned horses, no samples for histology were collected. Long-term follow-up was only available for a subset of enrolled horses. Conclusions: The intralesional administration of tpMSCs was safe and improved the quality of healing and long-term outcomes in sports horses with naturally occurring SDFT and suspensory injuries.
© 2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2023-10-17 PubMed ID: 37847100DOI: 10.1111/evj.14008Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells, which have undergone tenogenic priming, in the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries in horses. The study indicates a significant improvement in the healing and long-term outcomes of horses treated with these stem cells compared to a placebo group.

Research Objective and Methods

  • The primary goal of the research was to assess the safety and effectiveness of tenogenic primed equine allogeneic peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) in the treatment of naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SL) injuries in horses. The assessment was done through a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
  • The study involved 100 horses owned by clients with SDFT and SL injuries, with 66 being treated via tpMSC intralesional injection and the remaining 34 receiving saline injections.
  • Pre-treatment clinical and ultrasonographic evaluations were performed, followed by subsequent assessments on Days 56 ± 3 and 112 ± 3 after treatment, and long-term follow-up data on re-injury was collected for up to two years after treatment.

Study Results

  • The results of the study showed noticeable improvement in tendon and ligament health among the horses treated with tpMSCs as opposed to those in the placebo group. One hundred percent of the tpMSC treated horses achieved improvement in fibre alignment score (FAS), compared to just over half in the placebo group.
  • The lesion sizes also decreased significantly in the tpMSC group as compared to the placebo group. At Day 112 ± 3, 65% of tpMSC-treated horses achieved a FAS of zero, compared to 9% of horses in the placebo group.
  • The veterinarians reported no re-injury in 41 out of 53 tpMSC treated horses in long-term follow-up, while this was only the case for 2 out of 26 horses in the saline-treated placebo group.

Study Limitations and Conclusion

  • The study had its limitations in that no samples for histology were collected since the study comprised client-owned horses. Also, long-term follow-up was only available for some of the enrolled horses.
  • Nonetheless, the study concludes that the intralesional administration of tpMSCs is safe and enhances the quality of healing and long-term outcomes in sports horses with naturally occurring SDFT and suspensory injuries.

Cite This Article

APA
Carlier S, Depuydt E, Suls M, Bocqué C, Thys J, Vandenberghe A, Martens A, Saunders J, Hellmann K, Braun G, Beerts C, Spaas JH. (2023). Equine allogeneic tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells: A clinical field study in horses suffering from naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament injuries. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14008

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Carlier, Stephanie
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Medicine Belgium, Evergem, Belgium.
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
  • Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Depuydt, Eva
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Medicine Belgium, Evergem, Belgium.
  • Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Suls, Marc
  • Praktijk Dr. Suls BV, Nederweert, the Netherlands.
  • Via Nova Equine, Bree, Belgium.
Bocqué, Cedric
  • Via Nova Equine, Bree, Belgium.
Thys, Justine
  • Via Nova Equine, Bree, Belgium.
Vandenberghe, Aurélie
  • Equine Veterinary Services Adriaensen-Vandenberghe, Evergem, Belgium.
Martens, Ann
  • Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Saunders, Jimmy
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Hellmann, Klaus
  • Klifovet GmbH, Munich, Germany.
Braun, Gabriele
  • Klifovet GmbH, Munich, Germany.
Beerts, Charlotte
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Medicine Belgium, Evergem, Belgium.
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Spaas, Jan H
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Medicine Belgium, Evergem, Belgium.
  • Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Grant Funding

  • HBC.2020.2227 / Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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