The Current ‘State of Play’ of Regenerative Medicine in Horses: What the Horse Can Tell the Human

Abstract

The horse is an attractive model for many human age-related degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system because it is a large animal species that both ages and exercises, and develops naturally occurring injuries with many similarities to the human counterpart. It therefore represents an ideal species to use as a ‘proving ground’ for new therapies, most notably regenerative medicine. Regenerative techniques using cell-based therapies for the treatment of equine musculoskeletal disease have been in use for over a decade. This review article provides a summary overview of the sources, current challenges and problems surrounding the use of stem cell and non-cell-based therapy in regenerative medicine in horses and is based on presentations from a recent Havemeyer symposium on equine regenerative medicine where speakers are selected from leading authorities in both equine and human regenerative medicine fields from 10 different countries.

Keywords::

• horse
• mesenchymal stem cell
• regenerative medicine

Acknowledgements

This review is based on presentations from a recent Havemeyer symposium on equine regenerative medicine (see [99]). The authors would like to thank the conference delegates, selected from leading authorities in both equine and human regenerative medicine fields from whose presentations much of this review has been based; Ana-Liz Alves (São Paulo State University, Brazil), Jennifer Barrett (Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, USA), Frank Barry ( National University of Ireland, Ireland), Gordon Blunn (University College London, UK), Walter Brehm (University of Leipzig, Germany), Bruce Bunnell (Tulane University Health Sciences Center, USA), Peter Clegg (University of Liverpool, UK), Antonio Crovace (Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy), Jay Dudhia (Royal Veterinary College, UK), David Frisbie (Colorado State University, USA), Laurie Goodrich (Colorado State University, USA), Allen Goodship (University College London, UK), Debbie Guest (Animal Health Trust, UK), Brian Johnstone (Indiana University, USA), Yoshinori Kasashima (Equine Research Institute, Japan), Thomas Koch (Ontario Veterinary College, Canada), Chris Little (University of Sydney, Australia), Helen McCarthy (Cardiff University, UK), Laurie McDuffee (University of Prince Edward Island, Canada), Wayne McIlwraith (Colorado State University, USA), Alan Nixon (Cornell University, USA), Gene Pranzo (Havemeyer Foundation, USA), Iris Ribitsch (University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria), John Schimenti (Cornell University, USA), Michael Schramme (Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Lyon, France), Allison Stewart (University of Illinois, USA), and Martin Vidal (University College Davis, USA).

Financial & competing interest disclosures

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.