Aspiration, but not injection, decreases cultured equine mesenchymal stromal cell viability.
Authors: Williams Lynn B, Russell Keith A, Koenig Judith B, Koch Thomas G
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies are increasingly used in equine practice for their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, yet the mechanical trauma imposed during needle aspiration and injection—fundamental steps in MSC administration—has received minimal investigation. Williams and colleagues cultured equine MSCs and subjected them to aspiration and injection through needles of varying gauges, then assessed cell viability immediately and at delayed timepoints to determine whether needle diameter influenced cell survival. Aspiration significantly reduced MSC viability regardless of needle size, whereas the injection process itself did not compromise cell survival, suggesting that the withdrawal phase of needle handling poses greater mechanical stress than delivery. These findings carry practical implications for clinicians preparing autologous or allogeneic MSC treatments, indicating that protocol optimisation should prioritise minimising aspiration trauma—potentially through needle selection, aspiration technique, or alternative collection methods—rather than focusing intervention efforts on the injection phase. Understanding this differential impact allows practitioners to refine handling protocols and potentially improve cell viability at the point of administration, which may directly influence therapeutic efficacy in clinical applications.
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Practical Takeaways
- •When preparing MSC for injection, minimize the number of aspirations and consider using larger bore needles if repeated aspiration is necessary to preserve cell viability
- •The injection process itself does not substantially compromise MSC viability, so focus quality control efforts on the aspiration phase of cell preparation
- •Cell handling protocols for MSC therapy should be optimized to reduce mechanical stress during withdrawal from storage or mixing
Key Findings
- •Aspiration through hypodermic needles significantly decreased equine MSC viability regardless of needle diameter
- •Injection through needles did not significantly reduce MSC viability compared to controls
- •Smaller needle diameters (25-27 gauge) caused greater cell viability loss during aspiration than larger diameters (18-20 gauge)