Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for skin graft enrichment: The need for a universal PRP classification system

Therapeutic Potential of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Canine Medicine

Platelets are the reservoir of growth factors and play a major role in several physiological processes, such as coagulation, angiogenesis, immune response, and tissue repair. Platelet concentrates are broadly classified into two groups depending on their fibrin content, namely platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF). They are further divided based on their leucocyte contents. The PRP is plasma containing supra-physiological concentrations of the platelets. The growth factors present in the PRP play a crucial role in the promotion of local angiogenesis, regulation of cellular activity, stem cell homing, proliferation and differentiation of different stem cells, and deposition of matrix proteins contributing to tissue regeneration. This review aimed to establish the therapeutic potential of PRP in canine medicine with a particular focus on the applications in ophthalmology, dermatology, and musculoskeletal disorders. A systematic literature review was performed to identify the literature published during the past 20 years (2001-2021) using authentic academic databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus. In the initial search, 556 articles were identified and based on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 59 articles were selected for further analysis. The clinical efficacy of PRP depends on the number of platelets and the growth factor concentration. The PRP-based biological therapy has broad clinical applications in musculoskeletal pathologies. It is a simple, safe, and cost-effective method that can be used to treat various diseases and disorders in canine practice. For example, PRP is used for managing corneal ulcers, corneal erosion, alkali burn, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, burn wounds, chronic wounds, cutaneous ulcers, acute traumatic bone fractures, tendinopathies, cartilage pathologies, osteoarthritis, and abdominal wall defects either as monotherapy or as an adjunctive therapeutic agent. In addition, PRP is widely used as a carrier of mesenchymal stem cells for transplanting into bone defects. Therefore, allogeneic PRP therapy can be considered a simple, safe, and cost-effective method for the treatment of various diseases and disorders in canine practice. The therapeutic application of PRP in canine medicine is limited in the present study due to the lack of consensus for collection, characterization, and clinical use. Hence, further studies are required to establish the actual worth of PRP-based regenerative strategies in canine medicine.

Classification and coding of platelet-rich plasma derived from New Zealand white rabbits for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a category of platelet concentrate that has been widely used as a therapeutic modality in musculoskeletal medicine. The present study was conducted to classify and code the non-activated platelet-rich plasma (nPRP) derived from New Zealand white rabbits for tissue engineering and other regenerative medicine applications.

METHODS

PRP was prepared from the whole blood by double centrifugation protocol using a laboratory centrifuge. The prepared nPRP was characterized using the parameters such as platelet dose, the relative composition of platelets, WBC, and RBC. The production protocol was described using the parameters such as platelet enrichment factor, factor increase in WBC concentration, platelet capture efficiency, WBC-reducing efficiency, and RBC-reducing efficiency. The nPRP was also classified and coded using the most recent and universally accepted classification and coding systems.

RESULTS

The non-activated leukocyte-poor red cell-rich PRP had an average platelet count of 1875.75 × 10⁹/L, which is higher than the basal platelet concentration in the whole blood. Furthermore, the protocol used in this study has a mean platelet capture efficiency of 47.43 ± 6.42%.

CONCLUSION

The protocol described in this study can be used to prepare non-activated leukocyte-poor red cell-rich PRP (Red-PRP IC1) from rabbits that can be coded as 318-00-00.