Cartilage Engineering to Treat Equine Joint Disease

Acute and chronic trauma are part and parcel to an athletic horse’s life. While a horse can deal with a certain measure of stress within joints from day to day, there are times when advanced therapy is needed.

“In some situations, trauma results in lesions that require aggressive treatment for return to soundness,” explained Laura Petroski B.V.M.S., a veterinarian for Kentucky Equine Research. Such options include stem cell therapy, autologous conditioned serum, or platelet-rich plasma, all of which stimulate molecules that foster healing.

Joint injuries, lameness, and joint disease, such as osteoarthritis, remain among the most important causes of lost training days, decreased performance, and early retirement from competition. As such, improved methods of treating injured joints, especially the delicate lining of articular cartilage inside joints, will help restore soundness and ward off osteoarthritis.

Various research groups have attempted to create cartilage from stem cells, a process called cartilage engineering. Researchers believe that using stem cells carefully cultured in a laboratory setting will better treat diseased cartilage because the engineered cartilage will more closely match innate cartilage.

While many groups have attempted cartilage engineering, roadblocks have limited progress. For example, not all stem cells, such as those obtained from bone marrow, can be coaxed into becoming cartilage cells. In addition, engineered cartilage doesn’t always match natural cartilage, with too much type I collagen and not enough type II collagen. Further, stem cells obtained from older horses that can be coaxed into becoming cartilage cells tend to die relatively quickly.

In a recent publication, a team of French researchers collected stem cells from umbilical cords*. The cells were cultured in a laboratory and made into cartilage cells. According to the researchers, umbilical stem cells are easier to obtain than bone marrow-derived stem cells and showed extreme promise for cartilage engineering.

“While we look forward to following the exciting developments in the field of cartilage engineering, in the meantime, owners are encouraged to use joint supplements for maximal joint health in addition to regular exercise and maintaining an appropriate body condition score,” summarized Petroski.

Protecting equine joints starts early in life by ensuring a balanced diet, adequate weight-bearing exercise, and minimal musculoskeletal trauma. Offering joint supplements prior to injury also helps protect joints, and feeding those same supplements in the face of wear and tear or injury can also help slow the progression of osteoarthritis.

To help protect joints, high-quality supplements, such as Synovate HA and KER•Flex, can be given. In Australia, look for Synovate HA and Glucos-A-Flex.

*Desancé, M., R. Contentin, L. Bertoni, et al. 2018. Chondrogenic differentiation of defined equine mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood for use in cartilage repair therapy. International Journal of Molecular Science 10:19(2).