Clean Run Magazine - November 2008 - 21

Focus on Canine Sports Medicine By Sherman O. Canapp Jr., DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS Photos courtesy of author and Vet-Stem Stem Cell Therapy for the Canine Athlete What Are Stem Cells and How Do They Work? A stem cell is characterized by its ability to divide and create another cell like itself and by its potential to become many different types of cells. Cells that have already committed to becoming muscle, bone, or other tissue are unchangeable. Stem cells, by contrast, retain change possibility. There are two broad types of mammalian stem cells: ■ Soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis are common conditions afflicting canine athletes due to the forces placed on their joints and the repetitive nature of agility. Microtrauma to tendons, ligaments, and articular surfaces of joints can occur and can create an environment for osteoarthritic changes. Once the degenerative cascade of this condition is initiated, its progression can be insidious. Therapies have focused on treating the symptoms or slowing the progression of this debilitating disease. Stem cell therapy may not only treat symptoms and slow the disease, but it also could help to induce repair of the underlying damage that initiated the cascade. Regenerative stem cell technology gives new hope for extending the careers and improving the quality of life of canine athletes. Embryonic stem cells: Found in a developing embryo, embryonic stem cells are intended to form a whole animal and have unlimited potential of development into any type of tissue. Adult stem cells: Found in most adult tissues, adult stem cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells and maintaining the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues. Adult stem cells are also multipotent, meaning the cells have the potential to differentiate themselves to become various types of cells. Previously, adult stem cells were believed to be limited to developing only to cell types related to the tissue from which the stem cell originated; however, research has shown that adult stem cells can be directed to form virtually any cell type. In human medicine, ethical and legal debates surround the use of embryonic stem cells for research and therapy; such controversy does not exist with the use of adult stem cells. Adult stem cells have been used for years to successfully treat human leukemia and related bone and blood cancers through bone marrow transplants. 21 ■ A Brief History of Regenerative Therapy Research Veterinary research into the use of regenerative cells and adult stem cell therapy began just this decade. Roger Smith of the Royal Veterinary College in England helped pioneer the movement by developing a technique in 2002 for extracting equine stem cells from the horse’s own bone marrow, growing them in a laboratory for about three weeks, and then injecting them into the injured limb. Meanwhile, in the U.S., veterinarian Robert Harman was also developing a therapy for equine orthopedics, using regenerative cells and stem cells extracted from the fat tissue of the horse. Vet-Stem, his company based in Poway, California, has been offering the treatment since 2003. Since then more than 3,000 horses have had therapy with cells processed by Vet-Stem. Conditions treated include tendon and ligament injuries, both acute and chronic, osteochondral defects, and osteoarthritis. Multiple studies confirmed efficacy with a majority of horses treated returning to full performance level following treatment. In 2005, Vet-Stem and selected clinics began treating dogs with tendon and ligament injuries and osteoarthrits. Results of the first peer-reviewed, double-blind, multicenter study for canine osteoarthritis using regenerative and stem cells, sponsored by Vet-Stem, appeared in Veterinary Therapeutics Winter 2007 (Vol. 9, #4). The study demonstrated decreased discomfort and improved function in patients that received Vet-Stem regenerative cell therapy. November 08 | Clean Run

Clean Run Magazine - November 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - November 2008