Mesenchymal stem cell licensing: enhancing MSC function as a translational approach for the treatment of tendon injury.

This research paper discusses the potential of enhancing the function of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to create more efficient treatment for tendon injuries, which are common and often lead to significant pain and loss of performance in both people and animals. The paper also addresses the need to improve MSC treatments’ translatability to humans from veterinary patients, and explores the strategy of “licensing” MSCs to improve their functionality.

Introduction to Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Tendon Injuries

• The paper acknowledges the commonality of tendon injuries in both veterinary and human patients, causing pain, morbidity, and loss of athletic performance.
• Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) in treating superficial digital flexor tendon injury in horses, reinjury rates remain high, and the treatment’s efficacy in other tendons is unclear.
• Furthermore, the paper outlines that the success of MSC therapy in treating human tendon injury has been poor.

Enhancing MSC Function

• Recent studies suggest that the inherent function of MSCs can be boosted through either external stimulation or manipulation of their environment, a process referred to in the paper as “MSC licensing”.
• MSC licensing notably alters various MSC functions, including immunomodulation, extracellular matrix remodelling, bioactive factor production, vascular development, and support of endogenous stromal/progenitor cells.

Benefits of MSC Licensing

• The document reports that multiple licensing strategies have resulted in influencing the factors secreted by MSCs, which has led to positive results in both in vitro and in vivo disease models, unrelated to musculoskeletal tissues.
• The research suggests the potential in identifying the best licensing strategy for MSCs that could provide a reliable and repeatable treatment for various tendon injuries in both veterinary and human patients.

Translating the Research

• The article provides a comprehensive review of the existing evidence on the impact of licensed MSCs in both in vitro and in vivo disease models across various species.
• It offers insight into how the identified effector functions might be translated to the treatment of tendon injuries.