Effect of Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injection on Functional Repair Outcomes Following Skeletal Muscle...

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Stem Cell Therapy
• Skeletal Muscle Biology

Background:

• Skeletal muscle laceration injuries present significant challenges for functional recovery.
• Current surgical repair methods often result in incomplete restoration, fibrosis, and persistent functional deficits.
• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show promise for muscle regeneration due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory capabilities, but their short-term effects on laceration injuries require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term therapeutic effects of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs on skeletal muscle regeneration following laceration injury in a rat model.
• To assess the impact of MSC therapy on muscle functional recovery and histological characteristics post-injury.

Main Methods:

• Sprague Dawley rats with gastrocnemius muscle laceration injuries received local injections of either MSCs or saline two weeks post-injury.
• Muscle functional recovery was quantified by measuring normalized tetanic contraction force on days 7 and 14 post-treatment.
• Histological analyses, including Hematoxylin and Eosin and Masson's Trichrome staining, were performed on day 7 post-treatment to assess tissue repair and fibrosis.

Main Results:

• MSC-treated muscle demonstrated significantly higher normalized force by day 14 (110.8%) compared to saline-treated (78.4%) and untreated groups (88.1%).
• Functional recovery in MSC-treated muscle was comparable to intact muscle at both assessed time points.
• Histological analysis on day 7 revealed reduced fibrosis (29.30%) in MSC-treated muscle compared to saline-treated muscle (31.77%), alongside evidence of myoblast formation and reduced inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSC therapy promotes enhanced skeletal muscle repair and functional recovery in the short term following laceration injury.
• MSC treatment led to a significant reduction in fibrosis and supported muscle regeneration markers.
• While promising, larger studies are necessary to validate these findings and explore the clinical applicability of MSCs for skeletal muscle injuries.