Effect of hypoxia on equine mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue.
Authors: Ranera Beatriz, Remacha Ana Rosa, Álvarez-Arguedas Samuel, Romero Antonio, Vázquez Francisco José, Zaragoza Pilar, Martín-Burriel Inmaculada, Rodellar Clementina
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Hypoxia Effects on Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from bone marrow and adipose tissue represent promising therapeutic tools in equine practice, yet their in vitro expansion has traditionally occurred under standard laboratory oxygen conditions (20% O₂) that poorly reflect the physiological hypoxic environment where these cells naturally reside. Ranera and colleagues cultured equine BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs at both 5% oxygen (closer to physiological conditions) and standard 20% oxygen, measuring growth kinetics, cell viability, proliferation rates, surface phenotype markers, and expression of pluripotency-related genes across both culture conditions. Hypoxic culture at 5% O₂ enhanced cell proliferation and maintained superior viability compared to normoxic conditions, whilst also preserving the expression of key pluripotency markers—suggesting that physiologically relevant oxygen tension better supports the stem cell characteristics essential for therapeutic efficacy. These findings indicate that optimising oxygen levels during MSC expansion before clinical application may improve cell quality and therapeutic potential, particularly relevant for practitioners considering autologous or allogeneic stem cell therapies in soft tissue and orthopaedic injury management. The study underscores that laboratory culture conditions warrant careful consideration when preparing MSCs for equine regenerative medicine applications, as deviation from physiological parameters may compromise the biological properties that make these cells therapeutically valuable.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •For equine practitioners using MSC therapy: cells cultured at 5% O2 may have improved therapeutic potential due to better maintenance of stem cell characteristics compared to standard laboratory culture conditions
- •Cell source matters—adipose and bone marrow-derived cells respond differently to oxygen levels, so treatment protocols should consider the origin of harvested cells
- •This basic science work supports the importance of proper MSC culture protocols in regenerative medicine applications; work with laboratories that optimize culture conditions for therapeutic use
Key Findings
- •Hypoxic culture conditions (5% O2) better replicate the physiological environment of MSCs compared to standard 20% O2 culture
- •Both BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs demonstrate altered growth kinetics and viability under hypoxic versus normoxic conditions
- •Hypoxic conditions affect cell cycle progression and expression of pluripotency markers in equine MSCs
- •AT-MSCs and BM-MSCs show differential responses to oxygen tension, suggesting source-dependent culture optimization may be necessary