Cell-based therapies: current issues and future directions.

This article focuses on current issues facing cell-based therapies in equine practice and future studies validating the use of stem cells and related biologic therapies for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions in the horse. Issues raised include the characterization and use of tissue- and anatomic location-specific mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) sources, the putative advantages and feasibility of allogeneic embryonic stem cell and MSC products, the technical advantages and performance of cell-based biologic agents that do not require extensive ex vivo manipulation, the regulation of MSC homing, potential nonorthopaedic stem cell applications, and the logistics required to demonstrate cell-based therapy efficacy in horses.