Fighting Osteoarthritis In Dogs And Horses: Stem Cells
Thanks to the evolution of veterinary medicine, we can talk about more and better alternatives in the treatment of degenerative diseases. An excellent example is the promising results of stem cells to combat and relieve pain caused by osteoarthritis in dogs and horses.
However, there are still many doubts about the so-called cell therapy and its benefits for the quality of life of patients. Next, we invite you to learn more about stem cells and their role in the treatment of chronic and degenerative pathologies in animals.
What are Stem cells?
In a very summarized way, we could define stem cells as the raw material of the organism. From them all the other cells of the body develop, after differentiating to carry out their specific function for metabolism.
Under optimal conditions for their development , a large part of stem cells differentiate to give rise to specialized cells, which are also called ‘daughter cells’. From this process known as differentiation, nerve, blood, muscle, bone cells, etc. are born.
However, stem cells can also generate new stem cells, through a process called self-renewal. That is, they can divide into new cells identical to themselves, which also have the ability to differentiate or self-renew.
Why are stem cells so important in human and veterinary medicine?
Stem cells are the only known cell type, showing the natural ability to generate any other cell type and self-renew. For this reason, they have gained a central role in the treatment of degenerative diseases that affect both people and other animals.
Cellular or regenerative therapy with stem cells has the main objective of promoting the reparative response of organs and tissues affected by injuries, dysfunctions or diseases. Its use would be similar to an organ transplant, but considerably less invasive, more versatile and effective.
Instead of replacing the affected organ or tissue with another identical organ or tissue, stem cells or derived products are applied directly or indirectly. Both the cells and the products generated by them are produced and preserved under strict quality controls in specialized laboratories.
The hope is that its capacity can fully or partially ‘supply’ the cellular damage generated by these pathologies. In this way, it would be possible to slow down the progression of their symptoms and considerably improve the quality of life of the patient.
Stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the cartilage that makes up the joints, which leads to its progressive wear and tear and degeneration. Patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis often suffer intense pain, inflammation and localized swelling that compromise their motor skills.
This degenerative pathology can affect humans and many other animals, such as dogs, cats, and horses. Its symptoms are very similar in all species, which considerably impairs the quality of life of patients.
In people, experimental stem cell treatment has shown excellent results in patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the knees. About 90% of patients treated with experimental regenerative therapy have reported a significant reduction in pain and difficulty walking.
Stem Cell Therapy in Veterinary Medicine
The advancement of cell therapies also reveals promising results for veterinary medicine. As the use of stem cells is prohibited or limited in humans in many countries, work is being done to make viable and enhance regenerative treatment in dogs, cats and horses.
Today, the benefits of stem cell therapies for the following conditions in animals are known:
- Osteoarthritis.
- Osteoarthritis
- Cancer.
- Hip and elbow dysplasias.
- Cruciate ligament tear.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Inflammatory diseases.
- Dermatitis.
Are there stem cell treatments for osteoarthritis in dogs and horses?
There are already special products for regenerative therapy in dogs, cats and horses. One of them has recently been launched by the biotechnology company Bioiberica, specialized in biomolecules of animal origin.
Thanks to its partnership with the company Centauri, which is specialized in stem cell therapies, the launch of a comprehensive regenerative therapy service for osteoarthritis in dogs, cats and horses has been finalized.
The therapy consists of extracting cells from the animal’s own abdominal fat; then they will be treated in the laboratory to reinject them into the tissues that need to be regenerated. In a first stage, it will only be available in veterinary clinics in Spain and Portugal. But manufacturers are already planning their expansion for the international market.
