Adult Stem Cell Research in Light of the Bovine Mammary Gland Regenerative Medicine.

The bovine mammary gland has vital importance in the dairy sector, as it is considered a source of basic dairy product, milk. Mammary gland affections are widespread, which affect the dairy industry economically and pose a potential public health hazard. Current therapeutic options are ineffective in controlling the infection and regenerating the gland effectively. Antimicrobials commonly used against mastitis make their way into the milk . In order to find a solution to these problems, advanced therapeutic options, like the one for stem cells, are considered. Mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) are considered to maintain tissue homeostasis. The characterization of these cells and their derived lineages (progenitor cells and mammary epithelial cells) may potentially provide the physiological status or production potential of the gland. However, current isolation methods are cumbersome and fall short to isolate a pure line of cattle MaSCs from progenitors or other differentiated epithelial cells. An alternative to the therapeutic application of MaSCs is the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). These cells can potentially control microbial infection, show anti-inflammatory and other pro-healing effects, and furthermore enhance mammary epithelial cell secretory potential to ensure tissue regeneration. The current review focuses on MaSCs and MSCs properties in light of the bovine mammary gland regeneration.

Cryopreserved allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells show better osteochondral defect repair potential than adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) due to their characteristic properties have a potential to treat osteoarthritis, one of the major growing joint problems. MSCs show differential ex vivo chondrogenic potential on the basis of source that remains to be validated under in vivo environment. This study compared chondrogenic potential of MSCs derived from two common sources, adipose tissue (AD) and bone marrow (BM) under ex vivo and in vivo environments. The randomized placebo controlled osteochondral defect (OCD) study divided n = 72 rabbits equally into Control, AD-MSCs and BM-MSCs groups. Ex vivo chondrogenic induction resulted in an increased aggrecan fold expression in BM-MSCs and AD-MSCs. The former cell type had significantly (p<0.05) higher fold expression as compared to the latter. The cell treated OCDs had significantly reduced gene expression for inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) as compared to the control. In OCD study, radiography, MRI, gross observation, histopathology and SEM revealed that the cell treated defects were early filled by the tissue that had better surface architecture and matrices as compared to the control. BM-MSCs treated defects had better scores especially for gross and histopathology than the AD-MSCs. Gene expression for osteochondral regulation and cartilaginous matrices was higher in BM-MSCs group while only for matrices including the Col I in AD-MSCs as compared to the control. It was concluded that OCD in the cell treated groups are filled early with mostly a fibrocartilaginous to hyaline tissue. BM-MSCs may have an edge over AD-MSCs in OCD repair.

Cryopreserved allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells enhance wound repair in full thickness skin wound model and cattle clinical teat injuries.

The study was aimed to evaluate and compare the healing potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from two common sources (iliac crest derived bone marrow and omental fat) in a full thickness skin wound model. Bone marrow derived MSCs clinical efficacy in the repair of cattle teat fistulae (cutaneous and muco-cutaneous wounds) was also evaluated. In a completely randomized placebo controlled experimental full thickness skin wound model, n=36 were randomly divided into three equal groups: groups I, II and III receiving Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), BM-MSCs and adipose tissue MSCs (AD-MSCs), respectively. Grossly early reduction in inflammation and enhanced epithelialization in the cell-treated groups as compared to the control was seen. Microscopy, ultramicroscopy, gene expression analysis and mechanical testing revealed better and early matrix formation with a reduced scar formation and a higher tensile strength in the cell-treated groups as compared to the control. An overall comparable healing in the cell treated groups was observed, although BM-MSCs had led to the better matrix formation tending to scarless healing while the AD-MSCs had led to the early wound closure with a good tissue strength. In the case controlled bovine clinical teat injuries study (n=17) repaired surgically, BM-MSCs (n=13) or PBS (n=4) was injected locally. In surgico-MSCs treated cases, 84.6% non-recurrence rate was observed as compared to the 50% seen in the control. It was concluded that MSCs irrespective of the donor tissue have potential to improve healing of full thickness cutaneous wounds and/ fistulae.