Phenotype and Growth Characteristics, Gene Expression Profile and Differentiation Potentials

Objective: Because of the therapeutic application of stem cells (SCs), isolation and char-acterization of different types of SCs, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have gained considerable attention in recent studies. Adipose tissue is an abundant and acces-sible source of MSCs which can be used for tissue engineering and in particular for treat-ment of musculoskeletal disorders. This study was aimed to isolate and culture equine adipose-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) from little amounts of fat tissue samples and determine some of their biological characteristics. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, only 3-5 grams of fat tissue were col-lected from three crossbred mares. Immediately, cells were isolated by mechanical means and enzymatic digestion and were cultured in optimized conditions until passage 3 (P3). The cells at P3 were evaluated for proliferative capacities, expression of specific markers, and osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials. Results: Results showed that the isolated cells were plastic adherent with a fibroblast-like phenotype. AT-MSCs exhibited expression of mesenchymal cluster of differentiation (CD