SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Regenerative Medicine
This article is part of the Research TopicReviews in Veterinary Regenerative MedicineView all articles
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Adult Multipotent Stromal/Stem Cell Treatment for Equine Tendinopathy and Desmopathy
Provisionally accepted
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States
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Introduction: Over the last few decades, cell and cell-based therapies emerged as treatment options for equine tendinopathy and desmopathy. The objective of this study was to critically evaluate outcomes following treatment of equine tendinopathy or desmopathy with adult multipotent stromal/stem cells (MSC). Methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for "equine/horse", "tendon/tendinopathy/tendonitis/ligament/ligamentopathy/desmopathy/desmitis", "stem/stromal/mesenchymal/multipotent", and "cell" from January 2001 to June 2025. Manuscripts were identified according to PRISMA guidelines, and independent reviewers extracted the following information: signalment, lesion location and etiology, treatment, return to soundness or performance, lameness score, ultrasound tissue characterization, and tissue gene Stem Cell Therapy for Equine Tendinopathy/Ligmentopathy expression, composition, mechanical properties, and microstructure. Studies were assessed for risk of bias. A meta‐analysis was performed with fixed-or random‐effects models and effect size calculated as mean standard deviation or odds ratio, both with 95% confidence intervals, for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. Random-effects models were used when heterogeneity was significant. Results: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Return to soundness or performance, lameness score, ultrasound tissue characterization, and microstructure favored MSC therapy. Neither MSC therapy nor control were favored in tissue gene expression, composition, or mechanics. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that adult MSC therapy for equine tendinopathy and desmopathy has a positive effect on clinical outcomes. Randomized controlled trials using standardized cell isolation, preparation, and dosage as well as outcome measures are necessary to confirm benefits in tissue mechanics, gene expression, and extracellular matrix recovery.
Keywords: gene, horse, lameness, mechanics, mesenchymal, microstructure, Stromal/stem cell, ultrasound
Received: 01 Dec 2025; Accepted: 13 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Taguchi, Lopez, Aoun and Helber. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mandi J. Lopez
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