Veterinarians use stem cell treatments to address various companion animal ailments that conventional veterinary medicine cannot treat. Some veterinarians have treated joint and age-associated diseases in dogs and cats with stem cell treatments.
Pioneered in the 1950s for hematologic disease and bone marrow transplants, stem cell treatment relies on undifferentiated cells that can regenerate and differentiate into various cell types. They enable damaged tissue repair and regeneration and reduce inflammation. Stem cells also produce peptides with therapeutic uses for various diseases.
In veterinary medicine, stem cell therapy usually applies to dogs and cats for joint and age-associated diseases. Vets harvest adipose (fat) tissue or bone marrow from the pet and isolate the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Each type of MSC has advantages: canine adipose tissue offers superior proliferative potential, while bone marrow secretes a greater quantity of beneficial exosomes (membrane-bound extracellular vesicles) and soluble factors. Some veterinarians pair stem cells with platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and other complementary products to boost efficacy.
Autologous infusion, using stem cells from the pet, is most common. Stem cells' low immunomodulatory and immunogenicity properties mean the recipient often accepts them, even from a different, genetically distinct donor. It makes allogeneic infusion possible when a healthy donor with robust regenerative capacities is desirable.
Stem cell therapy can treat osteoarthritis, a common joint condition that affects pets as they age. As joint-cushioning cartilage wears down, inflammation, pain, and stiffness increase. Dogs are particularly liable to develop the condition, with more than 75 million pet dogs across the country (one in four) diagnosed with some type of arthritis, with pain as the primary symptom. Weight or body condition can cause it, leading to abnormal loading on normal joints or normal forces placed on abnormal joints. MSCs can differentiate into cartilage cells and release proteins and molecules with anti-inflammatory properties that help control swelling and pain.
Large dog breeds may experience hereditary hip dysplasia, whereby the hip joint fails to form, resulting in pain, arthritis, and limited movement. Injections of MSC into affected joints encourage soft tissue and cartilage regeneration, which boosts mobility and keeps inflammation manageable.
One promising area of stem cell research is chronic kidney disease (CKD), the gradual deterioration of kidney function common in older cats. While renal transplant can address CKD, ongoing clinical studies focus on transplanting autologous adipose tissue-derived MSCs into feline kidneys.
One study found that cats with CKD benefited from an intravenous infusion of stem cells from the amniotic membrane. It improved renal function, with problematic serum creatinine concentrations and urine protein-to-creatinine ratios decreasing. As a result, the cats ate more and engaged more frequently in social behavior.
Stem cell therapy is minimally invasive. Veterinarians typically make a small incision to extract and isolate fat tissue through laboratory processing. Veterinarians can administer the stem cells intravenously or directly inject them into target joints. Most pets show improved mobility and measurable pain relief within a few weeks or months. Follow-up evaluations allow vets to schedule maintenance doses and additional stem cell treatments.
