Regenerative therapies for equine degenerative joint disease: a preliminary study.
Authors: Broeckx Sarah, Zimmerman Marieke, Crocetti Sara, Suls Marc, Mariën Tom, Ferguson Stephen J, Chiers Koen, Duchateau Luc, Franco-Obregón Alfredo, Wuertz Karin, Spaas Jan H
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Regenerative Therapies for Equine Degenerative Joint Disease Degenerative joint disease remains a leading cause of performance loss and premature retirement in horses, making effective regenerative treatment strategies increasingly valuable to the equine industry. Researchers isolated platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cells from a donor horse, with one cohort of MSCs undergoing chondrogenic induction to enhance cartilage-producing capacity; these preparations were then injected into the fetlock joints of 20 horses with naturally occurring DJD (with a secondary validation study of 30 horses) and assessed using clinical scoring at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-injection. Combined PRP and MSC therapy—particularly when MSCs were pre-induced toward a chondrogenic phenotype—produced significantly greater functional improvement than PRP alone, with benefits sustained throughout the 12-month follow-up period. Chondrogenic induction notably increased expression of cartilage-related markers (aggrecan, collagen II, and COMP), whilst reducing proliferation markers, suggesting the MSCs were genuinely differentiated towards a more therapeutically active state rather than simply expanded. These findings suggest that combining appropriately differentiated stem cells with PRP may offer practitioners a more robust approach to managing fetlock DJD, though the single-donor source and small cohort sizes indicate that larger, multi-centre trials are needed before broader clinical adoption.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Combined PRP and MSC injection appears more effective than PRP alone for fetlock DJD, with benefits lasting at least 12 months
- •Chondrogenic pre-treatment of MSCs may offer superior short-term results, warranting consideration in clinical protocols
- •This regenerative approach may extend athletic soundness in performance horses with degenerative joint disease, potentially delaying retirement
Key Findings
- •Combined PRP and MSC treatment significantly improved joint functionality from 6 weeks to 12 months post-injection compared to PRP alone
- •Chondrogenic-induced MSCs with PRP produced the highest short-term clinical improvement scores
- •Chondrogenic induction successfully increased mRNA expression of cartilage-specific markers (aggrecan, collagen II, COMP) in equine MSCs
- •Clinical benefits of combined MSC and PRP therapy were sustained for 12 months post-treatment in naturally occurring fetlock DJD