Effect of donor age on the proliferation and multipotency of canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Lee et al. 2017
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Elita Summary

As the veterinary use of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) becomes more widespread, there’s increasing interest in the variables that influence treatment outcomes. One important, yet often overlooked factor is donor age, especially when working with autologous cells.

This 2017 study by Lee et al. directly examined how donor age affects the biological characteristics of canine AD-MSCs, including proliferation and trilineage differentiation potential. The findings highlight a critical consideration for stem cell banking and therapeutic planning, especially in ageing patients.
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Study Design at a Glance
  • Sample: Adipose tissue was collected from two groups of dogs —
  • Young (1–3 years) and Old (8–10 years), n=5 in each group.
  • Methods: Cells were assessed for morphology, proliferation rates, and their ability to differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages.
  • Outcomes: Focused on population doubling time, senescence marker expression, and differentiation efficiency.
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Key Findings
  • Proliferation Capacity: AD-MSCs from younger dogs exhibited significantly higher proliferation and shorter doubling times than those from older dogs.
  • Senescence Markers: Older-donor cells expressed higher levels of p53 and p21, suggesting earlier onset of cellular ageing.
  • Differentiation Potential: Trilineage differentiation was maintained in both groups, but cells from younger donors showed stronger staining and more robust lineage-specific gene expression.
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Why This Matters Clinically
  • Banking earlier may be better: These results reinforce the logic of harvesting and banking cells when dogs are young and healthy, rather than waiting until disease or age reduces cell quality.
  • Autologous limitations in older patients: Older dogs may not yield MSCs with the same regenerative potential, which could impact the efficacy of autologous therapies.
  • Relevance for allogeneic development: Understanding the impact of donor age also has implications for allogeneic stem cell development, particularly donor selection and consistency.
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Limitations
  • Small sample size (n=10): As with many bench studies, numbers are limited, and further replication with larger cohorts is warranted.
  • In vitro only: While findings are robust at the cellular level, in vivo correlation is needed to confirm clinical relevance.
  • No longitudinal tracking: The study doesn’t assess how cells behave post-transplantation or their real-world durability.
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Implications for Elita

At Elita, this kind of work reinforces one of our core beliefs, that early collection matters. The decision to bank stem cells during routine procedures (like desexing) isn't just convenient, it may actually improve the therapeutic quality of the treatment derived from stored cells. We're continuing to build our research framework with these age-related considerations front of mind, ensuring the long-term value of what we’re preserving for pet owners.