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OBJECTIVE To assess the ability to regenerate an equine meniscus by use of a collagen repair patch (scaffold) seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) or adipose tissue (AT). SAMPLE 6 female Hispano-Breton horses between 4 and 7 years of age; MSCs from BM and AT were obtained for the in vitro experiment, and the horses were subsequently used for the in vivo experiment. PROCEDURES Similarities and differences between MSCs derived from BM or AT were investigated in vitro by use of cell culture. In vivo assessment involved use of a meniscus defect and implantation on a scaffold. Horses were allocated into 2 groups. In one group, defects in the medial meniscus were treated with MSCs derived from BM, whereas in the other group, defects were treated with MSCs derived from AT. Defects were created in the contralateral stifle joint but were not treated (control samples). RESULTS Both types of MSCs had universal stem cell characteristics. For in vivo testing, at 12 months after treatment, treated defects were regenerated with fibrocartilaginous tissue, whereas untreated defects were partially repaired or not repaired. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that MSCs derived from AT could be a good alternative to MSCs derived from BM for use in regenerative treatments. Results also were promising for a stem cell-based implant for use in regeneration in meniscal lesions. IMPACT FOR HUMAN MEDICINE Because of similarities in joint disease between horses and humans, these results could have applications in humans.

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Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), also referred to as multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, have been the subject of intense scientific research as they are a potential therapeutic tool for several clinical applications. The first adult stem cells identified were the multipotent precursors of bone marrow stroma (BMSCs) (Friedenstein, Piatetzky-Shapiro & Petrakova, 1966), and today, they still remain the main source of MSCs (Wang et al., 2009). However, MSCs are not exclusive to bone marrow and can be isolated from human adipose tissue, brain, liver, spleen, umbilical cord blood, placenta, lung, dental pulp as well as many other sources (Castro-Manrreza et al., 2014;da Silva Meirelles, Chagastelles & Nardi, 2006). MSCs derived from adipose tissue (ASCs) are a practical alternative due to the accessibility and abundance of this tissue (Schreml et al., 2009). Due to species diversity, a variety of tissue sources, and culture conditions, there are no specific MSCs markers (Baglio, Pegtel & Baldini, 2012;Pashoutan Sarvar, Shamsasenjan & Akbarzadehlaleh, 2016). This is why The International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT) has established minimum criteria for characterizing MSCs: 1) the ability to be plastic-adherent in standard culture conditions; 2) the expression of markers such as CD105, CD90, or CD73, and a lack of expression of markers such as CD34,

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells are promising as a regenerative therapy tool for defective tissues in mesenchymal lineage, including fat, bone, cartilage, and blood vessels. In potential future clinical applications, adipose-derived stem cell cryopreservation is an essential fundamental technology. The aim of this study is to define an adequate protocol for the cryopreservation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, by comparing various protocols so as to determine the effects of cryopreservation on viability and chondrogenic differentiation potential of adipose-derived stem cells upon freeze-thawing of AT-MSCs colonies cryopreserved with standard and modified protocols, using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The study concludes that adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells could be long-term cryopreserved without any loss of their proliferative or differentiation potential.