Platelet Lysate for Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Culture in the Canine and Equine Species: Analogous but Not the Same.
Authors: Hagen Alina, Holland Heidrun, Brandt Vivian-Pascal, Doll Carla U, Häußler Thomas C, Melzer Michaela, Moellerberndt Julia, Lehmann Hendrik, Burk Janina
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Platelet lysate (PL) has emerged as a promising xeno-free alternative to fetal bovine serum for culturing mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine applications, with established success in equine practice; however, this research reveals that species-specific protocols cannot be assumed to translate directly between horses and dogs. Researchers developed a scalable buffy-coat production method for canine platelet lysate and compared its effects on canine adipose-derived MSCs against fetal bovine serum, whilst simultaneously evaluating analogous equine protocols with equine MSCs. Equine MSCs thrived at 10% ePL concentration, but canine MSCs cultured with equivalent concentrations of cPL demonstrated impaired morphology, reduced metabolic activity, and significantly elevated apoptosis and necrosis markers—despite successful enrichment of platelets and growth factors during the blood processing stage. Interestingly, passage 5 canine cells showed fewer genetic aberrations with cPL than with FBS, suggesting potential value for therapeutic application despite the in vitro culture challenges. For equine practitioners, these findings reinforce that equine PL protocols are species-optimised and remain reliable for MSC work, whilst cautioning that canine-derived biologicals require independent validation rather than direct adaptation of equine methods.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Species-specific responses to platelet lysate supplements cannot be assumed equivalent—canine and equine biologicals require separate protocol optimization despite similar production methods
- •Buffy-coat-derived canine platelet lysate is not suitable as FBS replacement for canine MSC expansion in vitro, though may retain therapeutic potential for clinical applications
- •Equine practitioners can continue using established ePL protocols with confidence, but canine colleagues should not assume direct transferability and should prioritize FBS or seek alternative xeno-free supplements
Key Findings
- •Canine platelet lysate produced via buffy-coat protocol showed increased platelet and TGF-β1 concentrations but decreased white blood cell counts
- •Canine MSCs cultured with 2.5% or 10% cPL demonstrated altered morphology, decreased metabolic activity (p<0.05), and increased apoptosis/necrosis (p<0.05)
- •Equine MSCs showed favorable results with 10% ePL, while canine MSCs did not respond similarly despite analogous protocols
- •Passage 5 canine MSCs cultured with 10% cPL exhibited fewer genetic aberrations than FBS-cultured controls