Secretome of bovine mammosphere-derived epithelial cells activates the local immune response in an experimental Staphylococcus aureus mastitis model in dairy cows.
Sipka AS, Oxford KA, Harman RM, Danev N, Nydam DV, Oliveira L, Huntimer L, Stephan B, Fieseler H, Van de Walle GR · Veterinary Journal · 31 May 2026
MDEC-CM enhances local immune response but requires improved efficacy for clinical mastitis treatment.
This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of conditioned medium (CM) from bovine mammosphere-derived epithelial cells (MDECs) in treating Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in dairy cows. The research compared MDEC-CM treatment, conventional antimicrobial therapy (ABX), and no treatment (NT) in both healthy and experimentally infected cows. MDEC-CM treatment significantly increased leukocyte infiltration into udder tissue and milk, and elevated IL-10 concentrations in milk across both healthy and S. aureus-challenged quarters. However, antimicrobial therapy proved superior for bacterial clearance, with 82% of ABX-treated quarters becoming S. aureus-free by day 5, compared to 31% with MDEC-CM and 29% with NT. Transcriptomic analysis revealed MDEC-CM induced substantial gene expression changes in udder tissue, though selected gene expression differences could not be validated by qPCR or RNAScope. While the study demonstrates that MDEC-CM effectively modulates local immune responses in the mammary gland, suggesting potential immunomodulatory and tissue-reparative benefits, additional research is necessary to fully characterize these effects and determine optimal clinical applications.
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