Effects of amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells in carboxymethyl cellulose gel on healing of spontaneous pressure sores: Clinical outcome in seven hospitalized neonatal foals

Abstract

In the present study, an innovative therapy for spontaneously arisen pressure sores in seven hospitalized neonatal foals is described, using mesenchymal stem cells obtained from equine amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) were isolated from fluid samples recovered at delivery. Heterologous cells, at passage three of in vitro culture, were applied to sores twice a week for four consecutive times in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gel. As a control, a commercial ointment was used. The results showed that the mean sore regression rate with AFMSCs in CMC gel was statistically higher than the mean value recorded in the control group. This was associated with a significant effect of the treatment used and a statistically significant effect of treatment over time. The results suggest that local application of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from amniotic fluid, using CMC as scaffold, could be considered as an effective treatment of deep sores in hospitalized neonatal foals.