Characterization and differentiation of equine umbilical cord-derived matrix cells

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 362; no. 2; pp. 347 - 353
• Main Authors: Hoynowski, Steven M., Fry, Madeline M., Gardner, Bryn M., Leming, Matthew T., Tucker, Jeanell R., Black, Linda, Sand, Theodore, Mitchell, Kathy E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 19.10.2007
• Subjects: Adipocytes - chemistry; Adipocytes - cytology; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adipogenesis; Adipogenic differentiation; Alkaline Phosphatase - metabolism; Animals; Anthraquinones - chemistry; Azo Compounds - chemistry; Cell Cycle; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Chondrocytes - chemistry; Chondrocytes - cytology; Chondrocytes - metabolism; Chondrogenesis; Chondrogenic differentiation; Equine; Female; Flow Cytometry; Horses; Immunohistochemistry; Mesenchymal cells; Multipotent Stem Cells - chemistry; Multipotent Stem Cells - cytology; Multipotent Stem Cells - metabolism; Neuronal differentiation; Neurons - chemistry; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Oct-4; Osteocytes - chemistry; Osteocytes - cytology; Osteocytes - metabolism; Osteogenesis; Osteogenic differentiation; Stem cells; Umbilical Cord - cytology; Umbilical Cord - metabolism; Umbilical cord matrix; Wharton’s jelly; Oct-4; Mesenchymal cells; Chondrogenic differentiation; Stem cells; Adipogenic differentiation; Neuronal differentiation; Wharton’s jelly; Equine; Osteogenic differentiation; Umbilical cord matrix
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.07.182

Stem cells are being evaluated in numerous human clinical trials and are commercially used in veterinary medicine to treat horses and dogs. Stem cell differentiation, homing to disease sites, growth and cytokine factor modulation, and low antigenicity contribute to their therapeutic success. Bone marrow and adipose tissue are the two most common sources of adult-derived stem cells in animals. We report on the existence of an alternative source of primitive, multipotent stem cells from the equine umbilical cord cellular matrix (Wharton’s jelly). Equine umbilical cord matrix (EUCM) cells can be cultured, cryogenically preserved, and differentiated into osteo-, adipo-, chondrogenic, and neuronal cell lineages. These results identify a source of stem cells that can be non-invasively collected at birth and stored for future use in that horse or used as donor cells for treating unrelated horses.