Beneficial effects of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in naturally occurring tendinopathy.
Authors: Smith Roger Kenneth Whealands, Werling Natalie Jayne, Dakin Stephanie Georgina, Alam Rafiqul, Goodship Allen E, Dudhia Jayesh
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Tendon injuries represent a significant clinical challenge in both human and equine medicine, with conventional treatments typically resulting in inferior scar tissue that predisposes to re-injury. Smith and colleagues investigated whether autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) could promote superior tissue repair in naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon injuries in horses—an established large animal model for human tendinopathy. Twelve horses with career-ending tendon damage received either 10 million autologous BM-MSCs suspended in bone marrow supernatant (treatment group) or saline vehicle (control), followed by a standardised 6-month exercise programme; treated and control tendons were then assessed using mechanical testing, histological analysis, and molecular profiling. BM-MSC treatment yielded statistically significant improvements across multiple parameters: structural stiffness, fibre organisation and crimp pattern, cellularity, DNA content, vascularity, water content, glycosaminoglycan content, and MMP-13 activity all approached values seen in normal tendon tissue, with no adverse effects observed. These findings provide robust evidence that stem cell therapy promotes genuine tissue regeneration rather than merely modifying the fibrotic response, substantially supporting the clinical application of this approach in equine practice and lending credibility to its investigation in human populations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Autologous bone marrow stem cell injection into superficial digital flexor tendon injuries promotes repair tissue that more closely resembles normal tendon structure compared to natural healing alone.
- •This treatment approach has demonstrated biological plausibility in a natural disease model with evidence supporting reduced re-injury risk in clinical racehorses.
- •The procedure appears safe with no reported adverse effects, making it a viable regenerative medicine option for horses with career-ending tendon injuries.
Key Findings
- •Autologous bone marrow-derived MSC treatment significantly improved structural stiffness, histological organization, and crimp pattern compared to saline controls in injured tendons.
- •BM-MSC treated tendons showed lower cellularity, DNA content, vascularity, water content, GAG content, and MMP-13 activity compared to controls, approaching normal tendon composition.
- •No adverse effects were observed with BM-MSC treatment, supporting clinical safety of the intervention in naturally occurring equine tendinopathy.