Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Cartilage derived from equine induced pluripotent stem cells: an in vitro and ex vivo One Medicine approach for osteoarthritis

Project description

Cell therapy for equine osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition associated with the disintegration of cartilage that cushions the bones in the joint. The disease is not limited to humans; it is commonly encountered in horses. Regenerative medicine through injection of stem cells in the diseased joint constitutes an attractive approach for self-healing. The EU-funded CAREQiPSC project proposes to develop induced pluripotent stem cells from horses as an unlimited cell source for therapy. Researchers will characterise these cells and evaluate their potential to differentiate into chondrocytes in vitro and in 3D scaffolds. Information on their biomechanical support and therapeutic potential will determine their future application in osteoarthritis treatment in horses.

Objective

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint pathology that constitutes the first cause of disability in older adults and accounts for >80% of chronic lameness in horses. Effective treatments are not available while developing them is of utmost importance for the EU objective of translating knowledge into society’s benefit. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide unlimited cells for therapy with no ethical concerns. However, pre-clinical knowledge is limited to small animals with low translational potential. Larger species such as the horse better resembles human joint’s features and can also benefit from these therapies (One Medicine). To develop this approach, the first mandatory step is obtaining suitable cartilage from eqiPSCs. Thus, the goals of CAREQiPSC are: 1) establishing eqiPSCs from new sources with potential chondrogenic commitment, 2) derive mesenchymal-like cells with chondrogenic potential, 3) compare their chondrogenic ability under different conditions, 4) explore their therapeutic potential in an ex vivo cartilage explant system. To achieve these goals, eqiPSCs will be established from articular chondrocytes, umbilical cord mononuclear cells, and dermal fibroblasts, and their pluripotency will be studied. Mesenchymal cells derived from these lines will be characterised and induced to differentiate in the customary pellet system and in a 3D scaffold. The tissue obtained will be studied by histology, protein and gene expression, and its therapeutic potential will be investigated in cartilage explants, also including imaging and biomechanical assessment. The researcher’s previous experience in the equine model and the host’s expertise in iPSCs and infrastructure will ensure the achievement of these goals. The main outcome will be critical in vitro and ex vivo knowledge to facilitate in vivo application in the horse, which will generate preclinical information transferable to human therapy and will advance the veterinary medicine field.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 184 590,72
Address
UNIVERSITY ROAD
H91 Galway
Ireland

See on map

Region
Ireland Northern and Western West
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 184 590,72
My booklet 0 0