Mesenchymal Stem Cell Studies in the Goat Model for Biomedical Research—A Review of the Scientific Literature

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells, defined by their ability to self-renew, while maintaining the capacity to differentiate into different cellular lineages, presumably from their own germinal layer. MSCs therapy is based on its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative potential. Firstly, they can differentiate into the target cell type, allowing them to regenerate the damaged area. Secondly, they have a great immunomodulatory capacity through paracrine effects (by secreting several cytokines and growth factors to adjacent cells) and by cell-to-cell contact, leading to vascularization, cellular proliferation in wounded tissues, and reducing inflammation. Currently, MSCs are being widely investigated for numerous tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Appropriate animal models are crucial for the development and evaluation of regenerative medicine-based treatments and eventual treatments for debilitating diseases with the hope of application in upcoming human clinical trials. Here, we summarize the latest research focused on studying the biological and therapeutic potential of MSCs in the goat model, namely in the fields of orthopedics, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, pneumology, cardiology, and urology fields.

Bone Regeneration in a Large Animal Model Featuring a Modular Off‐the‐Shelf Soft Callus Mimetic

“…[ 9–12 ] In the present study, we selected goats owing to their similarity in bone tissue macro‐ and microstructure and composition. [ 12–16 ] Further, bone remodeling rates and sequence of events during bone graft incorporation in goats are more comparable to humans than to small animals. [ 17–19 ] For the model, we chose a bilateral iliac wing defect as it is a reproducible model which allows for convenient evaluation of a critical‐sized bone defect with a volume in the range of cubic centimeters.…”

Comprehensive assessment of goat adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured in different media

“…There has been growing interest in MSCs derived from goats due to their potential applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and disease modelling 17 , 18 . Goats are valuable large animal models for human diseases and serve to bridge the gap between small animal studies and clinical trials 18 .…”