VIABILITY OF EQUINE MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL DURING TRANSPORT AND STORAGE.

• Grant number: 24/16764-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Ana Liz Garcia Alves
• Grantee: Ana Paula Florentino
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent notable promise in Veterinary Medicine due to their ability to promote tissue repair. However, to advance regenerative therapies, it's essential to improve MSCs storage and transportation protocols. This study aims to identify a suitable preservation medium among fetal bovine serum, platelet lysate, autologous serum and allogeneic serum for the transportation and storage conditions of MSCs, prior to clinical applications. To do this an average of 72 x 106 cells of adipose tissue, using samples from four animals per group, pre-collected and frozen in the cell bank of the Regenerative Therapy Laboratory. After thawing, the cells will be expanded and placed in containers containing 1.5 mL of each culture medium and then kept at 4ºC or 20ºC. Cell viability will be monitored by optical microscopy at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours intervals. Live cell counts will be performed by excluding dead cells using 0.4% Trypan blue staining. The data will be analyzed using statistical tests such as normality test, Shapiro-Wilk, ANOVA or Tukey's test. At the conclusion of this study, it is expected to obtain high cell viability rates in the culture medium used, especially in platelet lysate at both temperatures, and thus optimize the storage and transportation of MSCs.