A Pilot Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Synovitis in Horses.
Authors: Seabaugh Kathryn, Rao Sangeeta, Koenig Judith B, Pezzanite Lynn, Dow Steven, Koch Thomas G, Russell Keith A, Mehrpouyan Sahar, Alizadeh A Hamed, Goodrich Laurie R
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Synovitis represents a significant clinical challenge in equine practice, as it frequently precedes osteoarthritis development and often causes performance-limiting lameness in affected joints. This pilot study evaluated whether intra-articular injection of 10 million umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells—administered either in activated or non-activated form—could safely reduce lameness in 24 horses with synovitis affecting the fetlock or carpal joints. Both treatment groups demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements by day 21, with activated cells showing particularly robust outcomes by day 42 (lameness scores declining from baseline to 0.79 ± 1.05), whilst non-activated cells also produced sustained improvements (1.13 ± 1.00), though no statistically significant difference emerged between the two formulations across any measured parameter. These findings suggest that allogeneic umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs warrant further investigation as a potential disease-modifying therapy for synovitis, particularly given the absence of documented adverse effects; however, larger controlled trials with longer follow-up periods and objective gait analysis alongside subjective lameness grading would be necessary to establish clinical efficacy, optimal cell preparation methods, and durability of response in field conditions.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Intra-articular injection of allogeneic cord blood MSCs (10 million cells) reduced lameness in carpal and fetlock synovitis, with improvements sustained through Day 42
- •Activated and non-activated MSC preparations showed similar efficacy, suggesting simpler non-activated preparations may be practical alternatives for clinical use
- •This pilot data supports further investigation of MSCs as a treatment option for synovitis-related lameness, though controlled comparison to standard treatments is needed
Key Findings
- •Non-activated MSC-treated horses showed significant lameness reduction by Day 21 (1.0 ± 1.15) and Day 42 (1.13 ± 1.00) compared to baseline (p = 0.0098 and p = 0.0418)
- •Activated MSC-treated horses showed significant lameness reduction by Day 21 (0.96 ± 1.03) and Day 42 (0.79 ± 1.05) compared to baseline (p = 0.0011 and p < 0.0001)
- •No significant difference between activated and non-activated MSC treatment groups at any timepoint
- •Both allogeneic umbilical cord blood-derived MSC treatments resulted in significantly improved subjective lameness scores compared to baseline