Equine epidermis: a source of epithelial-like stem/progenitor cells with in vitro and in vivo regenerative capacities.

This study describes how researchers isolated and characterized skin stem cells from horse skin, demonstrating that these cells can be used to enhance the repair of full-thickness skin injuries in horses when paired with platelet-rich plasma treatments.

Overview of the Research

• This research explored the existence of a specific type of stem cells, epithelial-like stem/progenitor cells (EpSCs), in the skin (epidermis) of horses. These stem cells have a high capacity for regeneration and could therefore be highly beneficial for skin repair following injury.
• The researchers harvested these EpSCs from the epidermis of horses, subsequently purified them, and characterized the EpSCs based on their expression of certain protein markers.

Characterization of EpSCs

• The characterization process involved identifying the markers that the cells express. These markers included CD29, CD44, CD49f, CD90, Casein Kinase 2β, p63, and Ki67, all of which were positively expressed. The cells showed low expression for cytokeratin (CK)14 and were negative for CD105, CK18, Wide CK, and Pan CK.
• Assessing the self-renewal capacity of these cells, the researchers conducted further tests in adhesion and suspension conditions.
• Following this, the researchers induced the EpSCs to differentiate into two different cell types: keratinocytes, which are skin cells, and adipocytes, which are fat cells. This process confirmed the multipotency of the stem cells.

Application and Assessment of Regenerative Capacities

• The regenerative capacity of the EpSCs was tested by inducing full-thickness skin wounds on a horse and treating some wounds with a combination of EpSCs and platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), while treating others with just the carrier fluid.
• The wounds treated with the combination of EpSCs and PRP showed boosted improvement. Specifically, they exhibited a thinner dermis, restricted granulation tissue, increased numbers of EpSCs, increased vascularization, greater elastin content, and more follicle-like structures than the wounds treated with just the carrier fluid.
• The finding suggests that treating wounds with a combination of EpSCs and PRP can enhance tissue repair after clinical application.