Coronary corium, a new source of equine mesenchymal stromal cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have attracted great attention for therapeutic applications. Since cells derived from different tissues have different properties, using the right tissue source may impact their efficiency in regenerative medicine. This study describes for the first time the isolation and characterization of MSCs derived from the equine coronary corium, which may be useful for treating diseases such as laminitis. Seven coronary corium samples were used for isolation of cells (ccMSCs). Adherent cells were characterized for morphology, immunophenotype, proliferation and differentiation potential, in vitro migration and colony-forming capacity. The cells displayed the characteristic fibroblastoid morphology, with population doubling time increasing until passage 7 and reaching a plateau in passage 10. Cells were negative for CD14 and CD45, and positive for CD73 and CD90. ccMSCs showed chondrogenic and osteogenic, but not adipogenic differentiation, and migrated with nearly total closing of the empty area in 48 h, in the scratch assay. The clonogenic potential was in average 18% to 23%. This study describes for the first time the establishment of mesenchymal stromal cell cultures from the equine coronary corium. The results are similar to MSCs isolated from many other equine tissues, except for restricted differentiation potential. As coronary corium stem cell regulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of equine chronic laminitis, the use of ccMSCs in cell therapy for this significantly debilitating disease should be further investigated.