Comparing the immunomodulatory properties of equine BM-MSCs culture expanded in autologous platelet lysate, pooled platelet lysate, equine serum and fetal bovine serum supplemented culture media.
Authors: Even Kayla M, Gaesser Angela M, Ciamillo Sarah A, Linardi Renata L, Ortved Kyla F
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary When joint trauma triggers cartilage degradation and sustained inflammatory cascades, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy offers potential immunomodulatory benefits; however, the traditional culture medium fetal bovine serum (FBS) raises concerns about xenogenic contamination and subsequent immune rejection of the transplanted cells. Even and colleagues investigated whether xenogen-free alternatives—autologous platelet lysate (APL), pooled platelet lysate (PPL), and equine serum (ES)—could enhance the therapeutic properties of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) compared with FBS-supplemented media, testing six horses' cells across all four culture conditions. BM-MSCs expanded in ES demonstrated significantly suppressed T cell proliferation (p = 0.02) and elevated IL-6 production following IL-1β preconditioning, suggesting enhanced immunomodulatory capacity; meanwhile, platelet lysate media showed inherent therapeutic potential through higher concentrations of growth factors (PDGF-BB in APL media, p = 0.016; IL-10 in PPL media, p = 0.04; and TGF-β in APL media, p = 0.03). These findings suggest that switching from FBS to xenogen-free supplements—particularly ES for immunosuppression or APL/PPL for growth factor delivery—could improve MSC efficacy in clinical applications, though practitioners should recognise that optimal supplementation strategy may depend on the specific therapeutic goal and that further research is needed to establish standardised protocols.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Equine serum supplementation may be superior to traditional FBS for culturing MSCs intended for joint therapy, as it enhanced immunomodulatory function and T cell suppression
- •Platelet lysate media—particularly autologous or pooled sources—provide inherent therapeutic growth factors (PDGF-BB, TGF-β, IL-10) without xenogenic contamination risks associated with fetal bovine serum
- •Consider equine serum or platelet lysate expansion protocols when sourcing MSCs for regenerative medicine applications to optimize anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties
Key Findings
- •BM-MSCs cultured in equine serum (ES) showed significantly suppressed T cell proliferation compared to other media (p = 0.02)
- •Equine serum-expanded MSCs produced significantly higher IL-6 levels when preconditioned with IL-1β
- •Autologous platelet lysate (APL) media contained significantly higher PDGF-BB and TGF-β compared to FBS (p = 0.016 and p = 0.03 respectively)
- •Pooled platelet lysate (PPL) media demonstrated significantly higher IL-10 than equine serum and FBS media (p = 0.04)