Publications by authors named "Lore van Hecke"

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells provide a valuable treatment option in orthopedic injuries in horses.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological, biochemical, immunological and immunomodulatory parameters following intralesional treatment with tenogenic primed equine allogeneic peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) in client-owned horses with naturally occurring superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SL) injuries.

Methods: The immunogenicity and immunomodulatory capacities of tpMSCs were assessed in a modified mixed lymphocyte reaction, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 14 horses with SDFT and SL injuries after treatment with tpMSCs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists looked at how a special kind of cell called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can help dogs with a painful joint disease called osteoarthritis.
  • They tested these cells in a study with 32 dogs to see if they help reduce pain and improve joint health after injecting them into the dogs.
  • The results showed that using a certain dose of MSCs was safe and helped the dogs feel better and heal their joints, making this a potential new way to treat this illness in dogs.
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Osteoarthritis is a frequently occurring joint disorder in veterinary practice. Current treatments are focused on pain and inflammation; however, these are not able to reverse the pathological condition. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could provide an interesting alternative because of their immunomodulatory properties.

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Injuries to equine tendons and ligaments are career-compromising, causing reduced performance and premature retirement. Promising treatment alternatives have been investigated in the field of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, the tissue adherence and protein expression of tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) after administration to ex vivo tendon and ligament explants is investigated.

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The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of equine tendon disease is widely investigated because of their regenerative and immunomodulatory potential. However, questions have been raised concerning the immunogenic properties of allogeneic MSCs. Therefore, two studies were conducted to assess the safety of equine allogeneic peripheral blood-derived tenogenic primed MSCs (tpMSCs).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating equine joint disease, which is promising due to their regenerative properties.
  • Ten horses with joint disease were treated with these stem cells and evaluated for clinical signs, immune responses, and adverse effects.
  • Results showed no serious side effects, improvement in joint conditions, and no significant immune response to the allogeneic MSCs, indicating they are safe for repeated use.
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Background: Distal limb wounds in horses often show aberrant healing due to a slow inflammatory response. In human medicine, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is used for the treatment of chronic wounds with a similar inflammatory response.

Objectives: To compare the effect of NPWT to calcium alginate dressings on the healing of (non) contaminated equine distal limb wounds.

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Tendon injuries are very common in horses and jeopardize the athletic performance, and due to the high risk of reinjury may lead to early retirement. The use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of equine tendon disease is widely investigated because of their regenerative potential. The objective of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of equine allogeneic tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) for the management of tendinitis in horses.

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Objective: Due to the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through stimulation of endogenous immune cells by paracrine signals and cell contact, they have been proposed as alternative treatment option for many inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases in veterinary medicine. However, the long-term cultivation possibilities of feline MSCs are currently compromised due to a restricted proliferation capacity. Therefore, the xenogeneic use of equine peripheral blood-derived MSCs (ePB-MSCs) would present an interesting alternative thanks to their superior cultivation properties.

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Conventional treatments of osteoarthritis (OA) reduce pain and the inflammatory response but do not repair the damaged cartilage. Xenogeneic peripheral blood-derived equine chondrogenically induced mesenchymal stem cells (ciMSC) could thus provide an interesting alternative. Six client-owned dogs with confirmed elbow OA were subjected to a baseline orthopedic examination, pressure plate analysis, general clinical examination, hematological analysis, synovial fluid sampling, and radiographic examination, and their owners completed two surveys.

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Degenerative joint disease is one of the main causes of equine early retirement from pleasure riding or a performance career. The disease is initially triggered by an abnormal loading of normal cartilage or a normal loading of abnormal cartilage. This primary insult is accompanied with joint inflammation, which leads to further progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage and changes in the surrounding tissues.

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OBJECTIVE To compare antibacterial effects among 3 types of foam used with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in an ex vivo equine perfused wound model. SAMPLES Abdominal musculocutaneous flaps from 6 equine cadavers. PROCEDURES Each musculocutaneous flap was continuously perfused with saline (0.

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Background Aims: Several cytokines and growth factors play an essential role in skin regeneration and epithelial-like stem cells (EpSCs) have beneficial effects on wound healing in horses. However, there are no reports available on the expression of these growth factors and cytokines after EpSC therapy.

Methods: Wounds of 6 cm(2) were induced in the gluteus region of 6 horses and treated with (i) autologous EpSCs, (ii) allogeneic EpSCs, (iii) vehicle treatment or (iv) untreated control.

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Article Synopsis
  • Some studies suggest that both autologous (from the same individual) and allogeneic (from a donor) stem cells aid in wound healing, but this research compares the two types for the first time.
  • In an experiment with six horses, researchers applied different treatments: autologous EpSCs, allogeneic EpSCs, a vehicle treatment, or no treatment to assess healing progress over several weeks.
  • Results showed that autologous EpSCs led to smaller wounds and better vascularization compared to others, indicating both types of stem cells are beneficial, but autologous cells had more significant effects overall.
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