Anecdotal reports of fertility in female mules (jack donkey × mare) and hinnies (stallion × jenny donkey) have appeared in the literature over the years, but scientists have generally regarded them with scepticism. The fact that some of these hybrids can come into estrous and ovulate makes fertility conceivable, given that opportunity for mating arises. In China, where mules are bred extensively for work on the farms, a fertile female mule and a fertile female hinny have now been verified by chromosomal investigation. Each had mated with a donkey and produced a filly foal. The foals show unique hybrid karyotypes different from the mule’s or hinny’s and different from each other’s. The studies make it clear that mule and hinny fertility, at least for the female hybrid, is a real possibility.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) including mesenchymal stem cells to potentially differentiate into different tissue lineages widely exist in various tissues. In recent years, the clinical research and application of MSCs have become more extensive, but no standardized guidelines for the preparation and quality control of clinical-grade MSCs currently exist. To standardize the preparation and quality control of MSCs using the human umbilical cord, placenta, bone marrow, and adipose tissue as sample sources for the Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology (CANR; Preparatory) and the China Committee of International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR-China Committee) member units, this standard is formulated following the T11/CSSCR 001-2017 General Requirements for Stem Cells, Good Manufacturing Practice Pharmaceutical Products (2010 Edition), Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2015 Edition), Guiding Principles for Quality Control of Stem Cell Preparations and Preclinical Research (Trial), Code for Cell Banking Facility Quality Management, Sterile Drug Appendix to Pharmaceutical Production Quality Management Regulations, GMP Appendix — Cell Therapy Products (Draft for Comment), The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement (2006), and Clinical Cell Therapy Guidelines for Neurorestoration (IANR/CANR 2017). Moreover, this standard includes donor evaluation, sample collection, cell preparation, cell inspection, packaging, labeling, transportation and storage, and quality control. It represents the minimum requirements for clinical-grade mesenchymal stromal cell culture and quality control. Moreover, it will be further optimized following the progress of preclinical and clinical research.

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