Stem Cell Treatment for Horses and Dogs
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are progenitor cells found throughout all multicellular organisms including plants and mammals. They act as an inherent repair system, replenishing damaged cells and tissues daily. With each division each cell gives rise to more stem cells which exist as undifferentiated or “non-specific, immature” cells and can also differentiate into more specialised or “mature” cell types depending on their external environment.
When do I use Stem Cells?
EQUINE
- Treatment of mild to moderate lameness that has been accurately localised to a specific joint or soft tissue injury.
- Treatment of recurrent lameness due to osteoarthritis.
- Treatment of non-specific navicular bursitis.
- Treatment of cystic lesions in bone (preliminary results promising).
- Prevention or limiting progression of osteoarthritis due to “normal” wear and tear.
- Treatment of lesions in tendons and ligaments.
canine
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Treatment of mild to moderate lameness that has been accurately localised to a specific joint or soft tissue injury.
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Treatment of recurrent lameness due to osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease.
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Treatment of osteoarthritis related to congenital joint disorders such as hip and elbow dysplasia.
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Treatment of spinal injuries or disc prolapse. They do not necessarily preclude the need for surgery, but can be used intraoperatively directly into the lesion.
Different types of Stem Cells
Not all stem cells are created equal.
Stem cells can be classified into two major subtypes, those being embryonic, and adult stem cells. Biologically, stem cells that are collected from fetal tissue such as the umbilical cord or umbilical cord blood are also classified as adult stem cells. A third category also includes induced pluripotent stem cells where normal somatic cells are reprogrammed into stem cells.
ADULT STEM CELLS
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can be found throughout the body within various organ systems. These cells maintain the integrity of different tissue types. They are often found among differentiated cells, replenishing these more specialized cells once they have reached the end of their life cycle. While adult stem cells also possess the unique properties of self-renewal and differentiation according to their surrounding niche, they are more limited than their embryonic counterparts in terms of the cellular subsets that can be formed. Their differentiation capacity is therefore somewhat defined by their tissue of origin.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Of specific interest, for the purpose of applying stem cells in medical treatments, are Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). MSCs are multipotent, self-renewing progenitors that are defined by their ability to differentiate into adipocytes (fat), chondrocytes (cartilage), and osteocytes (bone).
MSC’s have been discovered in various species and can be isolated from numerous tissue sources including adipose (fat), placental tissue, dental pulp, bone marrow and peripheral blood to name a few.
Recent research has also shown that these cells also have the ability to differentiate other mature cell lineages to produce cardiomyocytes (heart muscle tissue), endothelial cells (walls of blood vessels), hepatocytes (Liver cells), and neural cells (nerve tissue). MSCs also have an immunomodulatory effect, making them particularly useful in research involving autoimmune diseases.
This also allows for the allogeneic use (single species) of MSCs and even xenogeneically (inter-species). Research has demonstrated how MSCs can be utilized in the treatment and management of various degenerative diseases.
Stem Cell Case Studies
