Perivascular Stem Cells Diminish Muscle Atrophy and Retain Viability in a Rotator Cuff Tear Model

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Objectives: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are a common cause of shoulder pain and often necessitate surgical repair. Muscle changes including atrophy, fibrosis, and fatty degeneration can develop after RCTs, which may compromise surgical repair and clinical outcomes. Lipoaspirate-derived human perivascular stem cells (PSCs) have demonstrated myogenic and angiogenic potential in other small animal models of muscle injury. We hypothesized that the administration of PSCs following massive RCTs may help to diminish these muscle changes in a small animal model. Methods: A total of 90 immunodeficient mice were used (15 groups, N=6). Each was assigned to one of three surgical groups: i) sham, ii) supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon transection (TT), or iii) TT and suprascapular nerve denervation (TT+DN). PSCs were harvested from human lipoaspirate and sorted using fluorescence-activated cell sorting into small blood vessel residing pericytes (CD146+ CD34- CD45- CD31-) and large blood perivascular adventitial cells (CD146- CD34+ CD45- CD31-). Mice received either a) no injection, b) saline injection, c) pericyte injection, or d) adventitial cell injection at the time of the index procedure or at two weeks following index surgery. The supraspinatus muscles were harvested six weeks after the index procedure. Muscle atrophy was assessed by measuring percent wet muscle weight change for eac

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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