The Safety Standard: Evaluating Cryopreserved Equine UC Allografts

This summary describes three in vivo studies of a cryopreserved equine umbilical cord allograft, published in “Cryopreserved equine umbilical cord tissue allograft characterization and biocompatibility in vivo in musculoskeletal tissues: a controlled study.” BMC Medicine, 2025.¹

STUDY OVERVIEW

Three studies, one safety question

Three in vivo studies evaluated safety and biocompatibility of cryopreserved equine umbilical cord (UC) allograft.
Focus on musculoskeletal (MSK) tissues: joints, ligaments, and tendons.
Assessed in clinically normal horses, horses with MSK disease, and through histopathology.

STUDY ONE

1. Controlled study in normal horses

Design

Randomized, masked, crossover study with 8 horses. UC allograft injected into joints and ligaments; saline as control.

Findings

No lameness, pain, or swelling post-injection.
Transient synovitis resolved by Day 5–10.
No systemic inflammation (normal SAA levels).
Increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ra, IL-10).
IL-1ra/IL-1 ratio improved >4-fold.

Table 4: Mean ± SEM or median ligament outcomes for UC or control

Table 4 — Mean ± SEM or median (range) ligament outcomes for umbilical cord (UC) or control (C) for 8 horses/site.

STUDY TWO

2. Case series in diseased horses

Subjects

3 horses with osteoarthritis, desmitis, and tendonitis.

Intervention

Single UC injection into affected tissues.

Findings

Adverse event reporting and systemic inflammatory markers are described in the publication.
Improved lameness and pain scores.
Synovial fluid returned to baseline by Day 3.
Increased anti-inflammatory cytokines.
No tissue damage on imaging.

STUDY THREE

3. Controlled pathologic study

Subjects

2 horses received multiple UC injections.

Assessment

Histologic evaluation of joints, ligaments, and lymph nodes.

Findings

No immune reaction or tissue damage.
Mild inflammation only at needle tracts.
No foreign body response or lymph node activation.

CONCLUSION

What the safety data shows

Local and systemic responses were evaluated; see the publication for adverse event reporting and limitations.
Consistent anti-inflammatory effects and histologic biocompatibility.

Reference

¹ Bertone, AL et al. “Cryopreserved equine umbilical cord tissue allograft characterization and biocompatibility in vivo in musculoskeletal tissues: a controlled study.” BMC Medicine, 2025.

Questions about these studies?

Published data describe protein profiles, biocompatibility findings, and clinical outcomes in controlled studies. Our scientific team can share the full publications.

Request Scientific Info