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Should you treat your dog with stem cell therapy? | The Bark

Imagine yourself in a veterinary surgeons examination room, bracing for the details of wound care, pain management and an exhaustive (and alarming) list of potential post-operative complications, when the doctor surprises you with an announcement: With luck, we can avoid surgery altogether.

Can this be true? Did you and your dog show up at the wrong appointment? Most of us who wield a scalpel for a living hope that the answer is no. In my opinion, surgery should be reserved for cases in which it is, handsdown, the best option or, barring that, something to fall back on when attempts at more conservative treatment have been exhausted. For me, it comes down to a simple philosophy: if the patient were my dog and there were some decent alternatives to going under the knife, Id be all for them.

However, things get complicated when we are a little too eager to embrace these alternatives. We become a marketers dream, easily swayed by anecdotal evidence and vulnerable to the allure of excessive optimism. In these heady veterinary times, as we are inundated by breakthroughs barreling down the medical pipeline, it pays to slow down and cast a critical eye on new options.

Take, for example, stem cell therapy for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis (OA). Debilitating joint pain, particularly when it is secondary to chronic hip dysplasia, accounts for a significant proportion of my caseload (more than 20 percent of dogs suffer from OA), and often spurs discussions about total hip replacement (THR). For the most part, THR is elective, the last trick in the bag when weightloss programs, physical therapy, acupuncture, joint supplements and a long list of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories are no longer working. Now, a company named Vet-Stem is promoting another unique angle of attack: regenerative medicine.

Basically, the idea is this. Under anesthesia, your dog has some fatty tissue extracted. This sample is shipped to the companys lab, where it is processed to extract stem cells, which are then returned to your veterinarian. With your dog once again under sedation, these stem cells are injected back into his or her arthritic joints. Over 500 dogs have received stem cell therapy in the past six years with (according to the companys website) more than 80 percent of owners reporting improvement.

Blame my scientific training for a sense of wariness (and truly, this is not the same as skepticism). Its just that anecdotes, owner testimonials and feel-good videos of stiff, sore, geriatric dogs transformed into leaping puppies make me start hunting for the evidence- based data. When I combed the scientific literature for information on stem cell therapy in dogs, I discovered just two studies, both sponsored by Vet- Stem. Though this gives me pause, the overall results were impressive: statistically significant improvements in lameness, less joint pain and improved range of motion. There are, however, a few points worth noting.

Only 35 dogs were involved in the two studies; all the dogs were also on anti-inf lammatory medications, and the duration of effect was only taken out to 180 days. From my perspective, on paper, stem cells hold lots of promise for the treatment of OA, but Id like to see more independent studies, more patients and an absence of concurrent medications. Id also like to know how long a course of treatment is likely to last.

Naturally, the media are quick to tout the possibilities of a sexy new treatment, but when they do so at the expense of tried-and-tested surgical techniques, I find myself beginning to bristle. For example, Time magazine ran a story touting the merits of canine stem cell therapy while attacking the proven option of THR. It suggested that recovery from the surgery would take up to six months and would be four times as expensive as stem cell treatment.

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Should you treat your dog with stem cell therapy? | The Bark

Stem Cell Nutrition for Optimum Wellness

There is nothing magical or mysterious about how stem cell nutrition works, that is about how enhancing adult stem cell function can help repair or regenerate damaged tissue; it is simply human physiology. When you think about it, from the viewpoint that adult stem cells are the bodys natural repair system throughout life, it becomes less strange to think that augmenting the function of these cells could help a variant of conditions and improve a persons overall health.

Stem cell nutrition has nothing to do with consuming actual stem cells. .These cells (even in children) are known as adult stem cells. Adult stem cells still retain the capacity to divide, but they become quiescent until needed, rather than actively and rapidly dividing as embryonic stem cells do.

Stem Cell Nutrition has nothing to do with the highly controversial topic of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells that exist in an embryo before birth.

The possibility exists for embryonic stem cells to cause abnormal cell growth. As much as is known from research to date, this possibility does not exist for adult stem cells. To date, al conditions for which stem cell therapy has proven therapeutic have been from adult stem cells

Stem cells are "master cells" which have the ability to replace any sick, damaged or worn out cells - they can become virtually any type of cell in your body - heart cells, liver cells, pancreatic cells, muscle cells, brain cells..... even the cells in the eyes, the joints and more. Serving as a regeneration system, they divide without limit and travel throughout your body to support optical organ and tissue renewal. Many scientific studies indicate that increasing the number of circulating adult stem cells is probably the single most important thing you can do to maintain optimal health. Also, if you look at the New England Journal of Medicine, youll find that the number one indicator of a healthy heart is the number of stem cells circulating in the body.

Just think of all the potential benefits of releasing more stem cells into your bloodstream - the ramifications are astounding. The power of adult stem cells to support the body's natural renewal system is poised to become one of the breakthrough discoveries of our time.

Can Adult Stem Cells Cause cancer?

One concern is that the release of extra stem cells into the blood stream will cause cancer to spread faster. However, only embryonic stem cells have been linked with cancer growth. Cancer is induced by mutations that remove the normal checks and balances to cell proliferation that is normally found in a cell. A normal bone marrow derived stem cell cannot cause or contribute to cancer any more than any other normal proliferating cell anywhere in the body. Stem cells are not being introduced into the body. Their release is simply being triggered from the bone marrow.

This natural process has been occurring since birth and is responsible for the renewal and repair of tissues in our body. Stem cell nutrition also has a number of anti-tumor mechanisms including phycocyanin, which has been shown to have anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic (programmed cell death inducing) properties. It also contains chlorophyll, which likewise has demonstrated anti-tumour activity (probably a good part of the reason that green, leafy vegetables are healthy to eat). In addition to stimulating the release of additional stem cells from the bone marrow, stem cell nutrition also stimulates the release of natural killer cells; immune system cells that help our bodies rid themselves of infected and abnormally proliferating (cancerous) cells.

AFA (aphanizonenon flos-aqua) from the pristine Lake Klamath and scientifically documented to stimulate the migration of adult stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream read more about AFA supporting migration of adult stem cells .

Anti-Aging and Adult Stem Cells Adult stem cells play vital role in both health and disease Scientific anti-aging research shows adult stem cell release rates drop at an astonishing rate

The Benefits of Stem Cell Science to your Health The National Institute of Health have discovered that there are 74 treatable diseases using adult stem cells in therapy. When stem cell nutrition is used as a daily supplement over time,, the stimulation of billions of additional stem cells in the blood stream could be one of the safest and most efficient methods for maintaining optimal health that science has yet discovered.

Arguably the most exciting, promising and controversial medical research being performed today explores the potential of stem cells, unique cells that, when dividing, can produce either more cells like themselves or other specialized cells, such as heart cells, skin cells and neurons. Stem cells research is bringing the promise of regenerative medicine and miracle cures for such conditions as multiple sclerosis, blindness, heart damage and male pattern baldness.

Blood Stem cells: 25 Trillion blood cells exist in the blood and every second 2 million blood cells die and are replaced.Researchersfound that mice with defective bone marrow (damaged by radiation) could be restored by translates of marrow stem cells injected directlyinthe blood. The bone marrowtransplant, in essencerestored the bone marrow stem cells to functional and normal status.

What could be simpler! Enable the body to release its own adult stem cells and sit back and enjoy the amazing benefits that can result for optimum health, fitness and performance and to fight the effects ofageingand injury.

You take Health Insurance to cover your Hospital Expenses in case you are hospitalized. Wouldn't it be even better if you could avoid hospitalization through Optimum Health,Performanceand Fitness?

Your body produces Adult Stem Cells in the Bone Marrow. These adult stem cells which are the Master Cells have the ability to become virtually any type of cell in the body. Recent studies have found that adult stem cells can become Heart Cells, Liver Cells, Pancreatic Cells Muscle Cells Brain Cells... even cells in the eye, the joints and more. Results of many scientific studies indicate that increasing the number of circulating adult stem cells is probably the single most important thing you can do to maintain optimum health. Without them, your body's natural renewal process simply could not take place!

For a number of reasons, such as Growing Old, Stress (Physical, Emotional, Environmental) and Poor Diet, may take its toll on your body's ability to renew itself. Now there is a Natural Supplement that comes in capsules and when taken orally helps to Increase the number of circulating Adult Stem Cells in the body by 3 to 4 million (30%) within an hour of ingestion.

This exciting information was discovered so recently that most people-- even many doctors-- don't know about it yet! In essence here's what happens when a need develops in your body:

The tissue or organ in need sends chemical messages into the bloodstream; These chemical messages prompt the release of stem cells from the bone marrow; A second set of chemical messages sent by the tissue in need prompts the circulating stem cells to migrate into the tissue; proliferate and transform themselves into healthy cells of that tissue!

For those of us just wanting to be proactive and maintain optimum health or fight the effects of aging, injury and day to day wear and tear, a similar but steady release of our existing Stem Cells into thebloodstreamcan produce considerable health benefits.

When Stem Cell Enhancers are used as a daily supplement over time, the stimulation of the billions of additional Stem Cells in the blood stream could be one of the safest and most efficient methods for maintaining optimum health, that science has yet discovered.

Knowing what Adult Stem Cells do to the human body, does it not then make sense that having more of them in thebloodstreamwill undoubtedly have profound effects on your health,well-beingand provide way to slow down, or possibly even reverse the effects of aging?

Do you remember being a teenager and dancing all night?

Do you remember partying all night or playing sport all day?

How would you like some of that fun,energyand vitality back?

Maybe you just need more Stem Cells in your Body!!

Give your body a Stem cell boost now

Animals and Stem Cell Nutrition. When there is an injury or a stress to an organ of your beloved pet or horse, compounds are released that reach the bone marrow and trigger the release of stem cells. As they do in humans, adult stem cells reside in animals bone marrow, where they are released whenever there is a problem somewhere in the body. Find out how you can help your best friend enjoy optimal health. Various conditions in animals are helped by stem cell nutrition

Eve-Marie Lucerne, a long time breeder and trainer of thoroughbred horses has been involved in holistic health care for many years. One of her horses was diagnosed at three years old with equine fibromyalgia and suffered with great pain and tiredness. Within 2-3 days she witnessed dramatic results on stem cell nutrition.............

The All Natural Rejuvenating Skin Serum. Stem Cell Nutrition has now expanded into the skin care industry. In August, 2011, an all natural rejuvenating serum that uses your own adult stem cells to decrease wrinkles and increase moisture retention and elasticity was launched in the United States, and subsequently in Australia. This is a mocha based fusion of the worlds most restorative ingredients and a blend of six cytokines that stimulate the proliferation and migration of the skins stem cells by more than 225%. This all natural formula has demonstrated the following dramatic results:

Decreased fine line & coarse wrinkles 25% in 28 days

Increased moisture retention 30% in 28 days

Increased elasticity 10% in 28 days

In healthy individuals, skin youthfulness is maintained by epidermal stem cells which self-renew and generate daughter cells that become new skin. Therefore, part of skin aging is caused by impaired adult stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow and the reduced number of adult stem cells able to respond to repair signals. This means that, if we increase the number of circulating adult stem cells, we can affect the epidermal stem cells.

Your skin's response to an increase in circulating adult stem cells. The most evident visual response in people's facial skin a few weeks after taking stem cell nutrition is that - it glows. People notice a smoothness and improvement in colour of their skin. Skin may also show improvements in age related and hormonal pigmentation, decreased bruising and increased elasticity and tone.

According to the US Department of Labor, there are approximately 38 million home based businesses in the US. Some 300,000 women start home based businesses every year. Entrepreneur magazine estimates that $427 billion is generated each year by home based businesses. A Money magazine survey found that 20% of home businesses had a yearly gross income of $100,000 to $500,000.

With frustrations building over the medical systems failure to address our daily health concerns, the demand for more natural methods of maintaining health without side effects is driving the tremendous growth of stem cell nutrition.

These are the superior product from the original patent holder and the original scientist.. Consider these points of interest:

In the first month of product availability independent distributors were earning good monthly incomes, with more joining their ranks each month. Some work part time, some are developing full time incomes and more. Because they are on the ground floor, their businesses will grow exponentially for years to come.

The state of the art systems provide all the resources necessary to run and expand a business. With the latest technologies employed by the company, distributors can focus on building their businesses.

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Stem Cell Nutrition for Optimum Wellness

Cayenne’s journey – AdVantage News

Just a few months ago, Cayennes situation looked bleak. Malnourished, abused and declared terminally ill with a baseball-size tumor, the young pit bull terrier was considered un-adoptable.

When Madison County Animal Control recovered Cayenne, they called Partners for Pets in disbelief. After Partners for Pets representatives rushed her to Horseshoe Lake Animal Hospital in Collinsville, they called urgent care foster parent Mandy Marquis and told her it would likely be a hospice care situation.

When they found Cayenne, she was just 23 or 24 pounds, and probably just used for breeding purposes, Marquis says. Within a month of care, she was up to 50 pounds.

After taking Cayenne to the University of Missouri in Columbia for CT Scans, Marquis was given disheartening news: She was diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma, which is a rare and terminal cancer for both humans and animals.

The cancer had traveled into the tongue and lymph nodes. Cayenne was given only a couple of weeks to live.

Marquis saw something beyond the unspeakable neglect and devastating diagnosis.

Id never seen a dog with such a will to live before, she said. She was so full of life, despite everything.

Following Partners for Pets mantra of no animal left behind, Marquis began researching her options. She stumbled across HylaPharm, a chemotherapy development company and spin-off of the University of Kansas.

They just happened to be accepting dogs for trials, Marquis says. After I contacted them, they called back within two hours.

With social media buzz and the outpouring of community support, Partners for Pets 29,000 Facebook followers received news thats nothing short of miraculous: Cayenne, once thought to be terminal with both squamous-cell carcinoma and an unrelated diagnosis of blastoma after jaw pathology was completely cancer-free.

This joyful news, a breakthrough in cancer treatment, is being celebrated in both the Metro East and a few hundred miles westbound. HylaPharms patented HylaPlat was used to treat Cayennes carcinoma. Marquis made the drive to Kansas every third Friday an 18-hour journey for Cayennes injections.

There were no side effects, and a week after she started chemo, the mass starting falling out, Marquis says.

Dr. Shuang Cai, lab director at HylaPharm, says Cayennes tumor was one of the largest shed ever seen and is confident that the treatment, which involved four direct injections into the tumor, will serve as a bright and revolutionary moment in cancer treatment technology.

HylaPlat, which stemmed from a university project started in 2007, has gone through several stages of development over six years.

It started as the brainchild of chemist Laird Forrest and his team, says Dan Aires, CEO of HylaPharm and director of the Division of Dermatology at the University of Kansas. The spin-off company began in 2010, and our current team has been in place since 2011.

Aires says to understand how HylaPlat works, it would be best to think of the treatment as a cancer therapy burrito.

Hyaluronan, a long, squishy sugar found in both dog and human bodies, coats the outside while a traditional cancer therapy such as Cisplatin is contained within, Aires said. Cancer stem cells, which cause cancer to metastasize, tend to have the highest hyaluronan receptors, which allows the treatment to act kind of like a Trojan horse.

Aires explains Cayennes story is ideal in helping advance research into non-operable head and neck cancers, localized non-operable triple-negative breast cancer and cancers with lesions in bad operating areas, such as lung or colon cancer.

Were hoping to be able to do human research in about two years, Aires says.

Its literally like a movie, Marquis quips. From the pound to beating cancer.

Marquis is incredibly grateful for the financial and moral support of both the community who raised every penny for Cayennes operation and HylaPharm, who she lauds as being incredible to work with.

We made our $5,000 goal for Cayennes jaw removal in just a few days, Marquis said. I have to thank the May Team at Caldwell Banker Brown Realtors for matching each $1,000 donation and being her sponsors. HylaPharm also provided all of the chemo free of charge, as well as the hospital care at State Line Animal Hospital in Leawood, Kansas.

Marquis says showcasing Cayennes incredible story on Partners for Pets Facebook page and on YouTube as Cayennes Crusade sparked public interest and showed thousands of people theres always a reason for optimism in the face of adversity.

A lot of people thought she couldnt eat with her tumor, which was so far from the truth, Marquis said. The YouTube videos and Facebook photos showed people that she was a healthy, life-loving puppy with a cancerous mass, and that really moved a lot of people to action.

Cayenne is recovering from a Dec. 30 jaw removal surgery with antibiotics and pain medication to ensure everything heals properly. Just a week after the surgery, on Jan. 6, Marquis learned from the University of Missouri that all margins of the jaw removal were 100 percent cancer-free. Within a couple of weeks, shell be ready for adoption.

It pains me to let go of her after spending so many sleepless nights, but I know shes going to a great home, Marquis says.

Matty McKee, a veterinary technician at Horseshoe Lake Animal Hospital, has followed Cayennes journey from the beginning and begged Marquis for the opportunity to adopt her.

He texts and asks how shes doing every day, Marquis said.

With a cold reality looming over Partners for Pets that theres always another dog tomorrow Marquis knows it wouldnt be right to hold onto Cayenne forever. As a travel buddy, workplace companion and loving inspiration, Marquis is confident Cayennes journey will continue onward with same resilient drive that helped her defeat terminal cancer.

partnersforpetsil.org

facebook.com/partners4pets

hylapharm.com

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Cayenne's journey - AdVantage News

America’s booming pet health-care business | The Economist – The Economist

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America's booming pet health-care business | The Economist - The Economist

For this CSU cat doctor, research requires patience, passion and a paws-on approach – Fence Post

Jessica Quimbys work at Colorado State University requires great patience. Not just because she studies the notoriously finicky feline, but because she has spent the past decade building a body of research into a little-examined area of veterinary medicine analyzing therapies for sick cats.

Theres not a lot of time and energy put into thinking about therapies specifically for cats. We have information about how to use medications in humans and in dogs, but theres almost never information on felines, Quimby said. So typically when we start with a drug, we have to start at the very beginning, and learn how to use it in healthy cats before we can understand how to use it in sick cats.

In a sign of the importance of her work, Quimby was honored with CSUs 2017 Zoetis Research Excellence Award. She delivered a keynote talk about her work in feline clinical pharmacology to kick off 2017 Research Day for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The event, that was held in the Lory Student Center, was a showcase for student researchers in the college. About 150 young scientists competed in poster sessions and oral presentations.

Dr. Quimby has a very strong publication and research portfolio in clinical and translational veterinary medicine. She exemplifies the veterinary clinician scientist who provides excellent clinical care, instruction for the next generation of veterinary students, and applied clinical veterinary research that significantly impacts companion animal medical care, said Sue VandeWoude, associate dean for research in the college.

AFFINITY FOR BARN CATS

As leader of the chronic kidney disease program within CSUs Center for Companion Animal Studies, Quimby investigates the pathology of aging kidneys and whether mesenchymal stem cells and appetite stimulants can help cats with kidney disease feel better and live longer. She is also researching the role of telomeres and senescence in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease in cats.

Growing up on a farm in Wisconsin, Quimby gained an affinity for the barn cats who often suffered from a variety of ailments. After earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, Quimby came to CSU in 2006 for a residency at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2009, and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Sciences from CSU in 2012.

I came to CSU so I could have the power to do studies and learn new things. I always had the goal of working with cats, especially elderly cats, and complicated cat diseases, Quimby said.

A LONG PROCESS

She is currently conducting a sixth clinical trial in a 10-year project to study the effectiveness of an appetite stimulant called mirtazapine. It has taken us all this time to learn how best to use the drug in cats, and it is probably one of the most comprehensive bodies of work on how to use a medication in cats, she said. We had to start out learning how normal cats process the oral drug, so that was study No. 1. Study No. 2 was actually proving that it increased appetite in cats. Then, we wanted to study what happened if you were an elderly cat or a cat with kidney disease.

Once she understood the effects of oral mirtazapine, Quimby and her team began the transdermal trials to prove that it increased appetite in normal cats. Now, they are finally testing the gel on cats with kidney disease. Were very excited about this clinical trial because it takes us to that next thing, which is using the transdermal gel in cats with kidney disease. Its a very long process.

And its just one medication. You would actually have to test every single medication to know if it works in the transdermal gel or not, Quimby said. Weve done it for one drug. We did it for a second drug, ondansetron, and discovered that it doesnt work at all. It proves that even when you think the drug would be absorbed through the gel, its not necessarily an absolute thing, so its important to have the evidence. We try to be evidence-based when were prescribing medications, so it helps to actually have proof that it helps the patient.

MENTORING

Having a variety of research sustains Quimbys interest and patience over the long course of designing clinical trials, compiling data and publishing results. As assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, and faculty member in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Quimby has a chance to interact with colleagues, students and clients at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

She is mentoring first-year internal medicine resident Kellyi Benson, a CSU veterinary alumna who recently returned to conduct research with Quimby. She is such a great mentor. I feel really lucky that I can learn from her directly because she has so much real-world knowledge about veterinary medicine. She has taught me a lot about pharmacology, research design and presentation. I have learned from her how to be a veterinary scientist.

Fellow scientist Craig Webb, head of the hospitals Small Animal Internal Medicine Service, has collaborated with Quimby on numerous projects and clinical service: Dr. Quimby is a rare and great combination of brilliance and humor, supported by a tremendous effort toward a deep intellectual understanding of the field and her patients, yet tempered by simple common sense.

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For this CSU cat doctor, research requires patience, passion and a paws-on approach - Fence Post

Paper trained: Drug treatments for pets improving – Quad City Times

Monoclonal antibodies? Stem cell therapy? Cancer vaccines? The pace and scale of the development of the class of drugs known as biologic therapy or immunotherapy is enormous. In human medicine these drug treatments that mimic the bodys natural defense mechanisms have been around for quite some time-their influence and participation in treating many of the diseases pets endure is just getting started.

Most of us have seen the advertisements for drugs like Humira, an injectable product that treats among other things, psoriatic arthritis in people. This type of therapy is expensive to develop but can be instrumental in giving relief to many human patients. The large investment necessary to develop this drug has made it difficult for many of these same types of biologics to make it to the veterinary market. There have been inroads however and several immunotherapy drugs are on the market to treat certain types of cancers and now, allergic skin disease.

While the cost is still significant, the benefits are often better treatment with less damage to unintended organs or systems. Because these drugs resemble the bodys natural disease fighting antibodies or are derived specifically from the patient they are treating, they not only should cause less side effects but are able to target their intended foe or disease process, unlike some medications like antibiotics that may kill off bad and good bacteria alike.

Zooetis- a major developer of new drugs on the pet side-has recently introduced a biologic that has the promise to be affordable and treat one of the major diseases of dogs-skin allergies or atopy. Cytopoint is a prescription allergy medication given by injection that may last 4 weeks or longer and promises to minimize the intense itching, inflammation and in many cases, infections that this disease brings.

This and other biologics could bring significant relief to pets suffering from skin disease, cancer and many other problems. While the science behind these drugs can be complicated, the results are often better treatments and outcomes with fewer side effects-a good result for people and pets!

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Paper trained: Drug treatments for pets improving - Quad City Times

Stem cell and Platelet Rich Plasma treatment lead the way in equine regenerative medicine – Horsetalk

Stem cells help to orchestrate an improved repair process in the site of injectionand have anti-inflammatory properties.Palm Beach Equine Clinic

Stem cells andPlatelet Rich Plasma (PRP) as treatment methods for equine injuries seem a far cry from treatments of old but the use of such therapies is increasing as the veterinary world embraces new methods to help sport horses return to their jobs.

Therapies to encourage regeneration of injured tissue were the focus of Decembers 12th annual World Stem Cell Summit at thePalm Beach County Convention Center inFlorida, where researchers, biochemists, veterinarians, and equestrians got together to learn more.

Several veterinarians from the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, including Dr Robert Brusie, Dr Jorge Gomez, and Dr Richard Wheeler, hosted a question and answer session at the Summit, addressing how regenerative medicine is changing and benefiting clients.

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cell therapy can be used for many soft tissue and intra-articular problems, including severe cartilage damage, meniscal disease, tendon/ligament pathology, or any injury where the veterinarian would want to encourage a regenerative response. Stem cells can decrease re-injury rates in tendon bows, yield improved outcome in horses with meniscal tears, and may also have benefit when used in regional profusions for laminitic horses. Stem cells help to orchestrate an improved repair process in the site of injection and have anti-inflammatory properties.

How Can You Collect Stem Cells?

There are three different ways to collect stem cells from the horse. The first comes from bone marrow origin, where a collection of bone marrow from the sternum in a standing procedure. The bone marrow is sent to the lab for processing and expansion, which expands the cells up to a predetermined number (generally between 10 to 20 million cells).

Stem cells can be procured from harvesting fat. The veterinarian may extract a significant quantity of fat from around the tail head and gluteal region of the horse. The fat will be processed in the lab, stem cells in the fat are concentrated, and the cells are re-injected into the injury site.

The third option is to acquire allogenic stem cells, meaning stem cells from another animal of the same species. University programs offer commercially available stem cell lines where anywhere from 10 to 30 million stem cells are shipped for use the next day.

PBECs Board-Certified Staff Surgeon, Dr Weston Davis, is one of the top surgeons that has made clinical advances in stem cell therapy. Commenting on the three methods of obtaining stem cells, Dr Davis said:I think the advantage of the bone marrow cells is that they are the most researched version of stem cells. The nice thing about the fat cells is that you can basically harvest the fat, process it, and inject it back on the same day.

The allogenics are noninvasive to the horse that you are performing the procedure on. You dont have to do a pre-surgical procedure to get your cells; you just call up and have your cells the next day to implant.

One of the unique properties of stem cells is that they do not have immunologic markers, so if you inject the cell into another horse, that horse does not recognize that it is foreign. So generally speaking, there is no immune reaction to implanting the cells into another horse.

There are also different methods of implanting the stem cells into the horse at specific areas of interest. If we were treating a meniscal injury or cartilage damage in a joint, implantation would be as simple as a joint injection technique. If you are going to implant cells into an injured tendon or ligament, then we will most often do an ultrasound guided technique where we watch and direct the needle precisely into the lesion so we can put these regenerative cells right into the damaged area.

How Does Platelet Rich Plasma Work?

Another therapy that can be applied on its own or in conjunction with stem cell therapy is the use of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). Platelets are very small blood cells that are a crucial part of the body and play an integral part in the blood clotting process to stop hemorrhaging from any wound. Because platelets are among the very first cells to accumulate at an injured site, they are very important orchestrators and stimulators in the repair process. Platelets contain granules filled with growth factors (the elements that aid in healing) and stimulate specified tissue to heal at an increased rate.

In order to treat a horse with Platelet Rich Plasma, veterinarians take a sample of the horses blood and concentrate the platelets in a high-speed centrifuge. This harvest and processing procedure takes about 30 minutes. The concentrated platelet rich sample is injected back into the horse at the specific area of injury using sterile technique and guided by ultrasound.

PRP treatment has had great success in tendon and suspensory ligament injuries and increasingly used in the treatment of intra-articular joint injuries. It can also be used following surgery in the joint to encourage a faster healing response.

We harvest a large quantity of blood, anywhere from 60 to 180 milliliters, and we process that to concentrate the segment that is very rich in platelets, Dr Davis said.

We get a high concentration of platelets we are hoping for five to eight times the concentration that you would get from normal blood then we take that platelet rich extract and inject it back into an injured area to encourage a more robust healing response. Whenever you have an injury, platelets are one of the first cells that get there. They will aggregate, clump, and de-granulate. They release these granules, which are very rich in growth factors, and signal the body to start the healing process.

Cost is one thing that dictates the difference in the use of stems cells versus PRP for many owners. PRP tends to be more economically affordable, while stem cells can be a more expensive and aggressive therapy.

What New Technologies Are Available?

Both stem cell and PRP therapy are cutting-edge in the horse world right now, as veterinary medicine researches how to further use the bodys own healing mechanisms to repair injuries. These regenerative therapies are part of a continually advancing field that has made exciting developments in both human and equine sports medicine.

There is constantly new research, Dr Davis said. They have done some of the initial studies looking at the efficacy of both. Right now they are working on ways to refine their use. We want to get higher platelet yields out of our PRP, and we are tweaking the properties of the PRP to modify the number of white and red cells for particular injuries.

For stem cells, they are researching different matrixes to apply them with, so that the cells integrate better at the injection site. Then they are working on triggering the stem cells, and trying to put in signaling cytokines or chemicals to make them differentiate to the specific cell type that you want. Actually directing the stem cells to become the exact type of cells you want is definitely still in its infancy, but it is on the horizon.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic

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Stem cell and Platelet Rich Plasma treatment lead the way in equine regenerative medicine - Horsetalk

What are Stem Cells? Medical News Today

knowledge center home stem cell research all about stem cells what are stem cells?

Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types. Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources:

Both types are generally characterized by their potency, or potential to differentiate into different cell types (such as skin, muscle, bone, etc.).

Adult or somatic stem cells exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside of different types of tissue. These stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver. They remain in a quiescent or non-dividing state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury.

Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. It is generally thought that adult stem cells are limited in their ability to differentiate based on their tissue of origin, but there is some evidence to suggest that they can differentiate to become other cell types.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from a four- or five-day-old human embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of development. The embryos are usually extras that have been created in IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics where several eggs are fertilized in a test tube, but only one is implanted into a woman.

Sexual reproduction begins when a male's sperm fertilizes a female's ovum (egg) to form a single cell called a zygote. The single zygote cell then begins a series of divisions, forming 2, 4, 8, 16 cells, etc. After four to six days - before implantation in the uterus - this mass of cells is called a blastocyst. The blastocyst consists of an inner cell mass (embryoblast) and an outer cell mass (trophoblast). The outer cell mass becomes part of the placenta, and the inner cell mass is the group of cells that will differentiate to become all the structures of an adult organism. This latter mass is the source of embryonic stem cells - totipotent cells (cells with total potential to develop into any cell in the body).

In a normal pregnancy, the blastocyst stage continues until implantation of the embryo in the uterus, at which point the embryo is referred to as a fetus. This usually occurs by the end of the 10th week of gestation after all major organs of the body have been created.

However, when extracting embryonic stem cells, the blastocyst stage signals when to isolate stem cells by placing the "inner cell mass" of the blastocyst into a culture dish containing a nutrient-rich broth. Lacking the necessary stimulation to differentiate, they begin to divide and replicate while maintaining their ability to become any cell type in the human body. Eventually, these undifferentiated cells can be stimulated to create specialized cells.

Stem cells are either extracted from adult tissue or from a dividing zygote in a culture dish. Once extracted, scientists place the cells in a controlled culture that prohibits them from further specializing or differentiating but usually allows them to divide and replicate. The process of growing large numbers of embryonic stem cells has been easier than growing large numbers of adult stem cells, but progress is being made for both cell types.

Once stem cells have been allowed to divide and propagate in a controlled culture, the collection of healthy, dividing, and undifferentiated cells is called a stem cell line. These stem cell lines are subsequently managed and shared among researchers. Once under control, the stem cells can be stimulated to specialize as directed by a researcher - a process known as directed differentiation. Embryonic stem cells are able to differentiate into more cell types than adult stem cells.

Stem cells are categorized by their potential to differentiate into other types of cells. Embryonic stem cells are the most potent since they must become every type of cell in the body. The full classification includes:

Embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent instead of totipotent because they do not have the ability to become part of the extra-embryonic membranes or the placenta.

A video on how stem cells work and develop.

Although there is not complete agreement among scientists of how to identify stem cells, most tests are based on making sure that stem cells are undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal. Tests are often conducted in the laboratory to check for these properties.

One way to identify stem cells in a lab, and the standard procedure for testing bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), is by transplanting one cell to save an individual without HSCs. If the stem cell produces new blood and immune cells, it demonstrates its potency.

Clonogenic assays (a laboratory procedure) can also be employed in vitro to test whether single cells can differentiate and self-renew. Researchers may also inspect cells under a microscope to see if they are healthy and undifferentiated or they may examine chromosomes.

To test whether human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, scientists allow the cells to differentiate spontaneously in cell culture, manipulate the cells so they will differentiate to form specific cell types, or inject the cells into an immunosuppressed mouse to test for the formation of a teratoma (a benign tumor containing a mixture of differentiated cells).

Scientists and researchers are interested in stem cells for several reasons. Although stem cells do not serve any one function, many have the capacity to serve any function after they are instructed to specialize. Every cell in the body, for example, is derived from first few stem cells formed in the early stages of embryological development. Therefore, stem cells extracted from embryos can be induced to become any desired cell type. This property makes stem cells powerful enough to regenerate damaged tissue under the right conditions.

Tissue regeneration is probably the most important possible application of stem cell research. Currently, organs must be donated and transplanted, but the demand for organs far exceeds supply. Stem cells could potentially be used to grow a particular type of tissue or organ if directed to differentiate in a certain way. Stem cells that lie just beneath the skin, for example, have been used to engineer new skin tissue that can be grafted on to burn victims.

A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reported in PNAS Early Edition (July 2013 issue) that they were able to create blood vessels in laboratory mice using human stem cells.

The scientists extracted vascular precursor cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells from one group of adults with type 1 diabetes as well as from another group of healthy adults. They were then implanted onto the surface of the brains of the mice.

Within two weeks of implanting the stem cells, networks of blood-perfused vessels had been formed - they lasted for 280 days. These new blood vessels were as good as the adjacent natural ones.

The authors explained that using stem cells to repair or regenerate blood vessels could eventually help treat human patients with cardiovascular and vascular diseases.

Additionally, replacement cells and tissues may be used to treat brain disease such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's by replenishing damaged tissue, bringing back the specialized brain cells that keep unneeded muscles from moving. Embryonic stem cells have recently been directed to differentiate into these types of cells, and so treatments are promising.

Healthy heart cells developed in a laboratory may one day be transplanted into patients with heart disease, repopulating the heart with healthy tissue. Similarly, people with type I diabetes may receive pancreatic cells to replace the insulin-producing cells that have been lost or destroyed by the patient's own immune system. The only current therapy is a pancreatic transplant, and it is unlikely to occur due to a small supply of pancreases available for transplant.

Adult hematopoietic stem cells found in blood and bone marrow have been used for years to treat diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and other immunodeficiencies. These cells are capable of producing all blood cell types, such as red blood cells that carry oxygen to white blood cells that fight disease. Difficulties arise in the extraction of these cells through the use of invasive bone marrow transplants. However hematopoietic stem cells have also been found in the umbilical cord and placenta. This has led some scientists to call for an umbilical cord blood bank to make these powerful cells more easily obtainable and to decrease the chances of a body's rejecting therapy.

Another reason why stem cell research is being pursued is to develop new drugs. Scientists could measure a drug's effect on healthy, normal tissue by testing the drug on tissue grown from stem cells rather than testing the drug on human volunteers.

The debates surrounding stem cell research primarily are driven by methods concerning embryonic stem cell research. It was only in 1998 that researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison extracted the first human embryonic stem cells that were able to be kept alive in the laboratory. The main critique of this research is that it required the destruction of a human blastocyst. That is, a fertilized egg was not given the chance to develop into a fully-developed human.

The core of this debate - similar to debates about abortion, for example - centers on the question, "When does life begin?" Many assert that life begins at conception, when the egg is fertilized. It is often argued that the embryo deserves the same status as any other full grown human. Therefore, destroying it (removing the blastocyst to extract stem cells) is akin to murder. Others, in contrast, have identified different points in gestational development that mark the beginning of life - after the development of certain organs or after a certain time period.

People also take issue with the creation of chimeras. A chimera is an organism that has both human and animal cells or tissues. Often in stem cell research, human cells are inserted into animals (like mice or rats) and allowed to develop. This creates the opportunity for researchers to see what happens when stem cells are implanted. Many people, however, object to the creation of an organism that is "part human".

The stem cell debate has risen to the highest level of courts in several countries. Production of embryonic stem cell lines is illegal in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Ireland, but permitted in Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. In the United States, it is not illegal to work with or create embryonic stem cell lines. However, the debate in the US is about funding, and it is in fact illegal for federal funds to be used to research stem cell lines that were created after August 2001.

Medical News Today is a leading resource for the latest headlines on stem cell research. So, check out our stem cell research news section. You can also sign up to our weekly or daily newsletters to ensure that you stay up-to-date with the latest news.

This stem cells information section was written by Peter Crosta for Medical News Today in September 2008 and was last updated on 19 July 2013. The contents may not be re-produced in any way without the permission of Medical News Today.

Disclaimer: This informational section on Medical News Today is regularly reviewed and updated, and provided for general information purposes only. The materials contained within this guide do not constitute medical or pharmaceutical advice, which should be sought from qualified medical and pharmaceutical advisers.

Please note that although you may feel free to cite and quote this article, it may not be re-produced in full without the permission of Medical News Today. For further details, please view our full terms of use

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Stem Cell Research – Stem Cell Treatments – Treatments …

COMPARE CORD BLOOD BANKS

Choosing the right stem cell bank for your family is rarely a quick decision. But when you review the facts, you may find it much easier than you expected. Keep Reading >

1. The collection of cord blood can only take place at the time of delivery, and advanced arrangements must be made.

Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord immediately after a babys birth, but generally before the placenta has been delivered. The moment of delivery is the only opportunity to harvest a newborns stem cells.

2. There is no risk and no pain for the mother or the baby.

The cord blood is taken from the cord once it has been clamped and cut. Collection is safe for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. 3. The body often accepts cord blood stem cells better than those from bone marrow.

Cord blood stem cells have a high rate of engraftment, are more tolerant of HLA mismatches, result in a reduced rate of graft-versus-host disease, and are rarely contaminated with latent viruses.

4. Banked cord blood is readily accessible, and there when you need it.

Matched stem cells, which are necessary for transplant, are difficult to obtain due to strict matching requirements. If your childs cord blood is banked, no time is wasted in the search and matching process required when a transplant is needed. 5. Cells taken from your newborn are collected just once, and last for his or her lifetime.

For example, in the event your child contracts a disease, which must be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, there is a probability of a negative impact on the immune system. While an autologous (self) transplant may not be appropriate for every disease, there could be a benefit in using the preserved stem cells to bolster and repopulate your childs blood and immune system as a result of complications from other treatments.

A stem cell is a remarkable cell, as it has the amazing ability to change into a variety of different cell types in the body such as heart muscle cells, brain cells, and skin cells. Stem cells, which are often referred to as one of the body's "master cells," can grow into any one of the body's more than 200 cell types. Stem cells assist the body in maintaining, renewing and repairing tissue and cells damaged by disease, injury and everyday life. If you think about it, stem cells act as the internal repair system for the body. Keep reading

Stem Cell Transplant May Be Near for Shawnee Girl 1/20/2009 Tallie Anderson, 11, of Shawnee Oklahoma has spend much of the past two years of her life at the OU Medical Center since being diagnosed with aplastic anemia almost two years ago. In need of a bone marrow transplant, Tallie had not been able to find a match with a bone marrow donor quickly, which is a problem for many people of American Indian descent, like her. From this obstacle Tallie and the Oklahoma Blood Institute launched a public awareness campaign to make people aware of the need for American Indian marrow donors. Hundreds of Oklahomans responded to assist. However, Tallies match finally came in November but in the form of a donated umbilical cord. The 11 year old is now awaiting a stem cell transplant from the stem cell rich cord blood. Read more

Stem Cell Hope for Blind Toddler 1/29/2009 The family of a toddler who was born blind are hoping a course of cutting-edge stem cell therapy in China could let some light into his life. Sixteen-month-old Joshua Clark, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia and his parents were told no treatment was available. Joanna and Anthony Clark found the Chinese stem cell therapy option after doing research via the internet. The family will fly to China at the end of April and will spend five weeks accompanied by various relatives at different times while Joshua undergoes treatment with umbilical cord stem cells. Read more

Stem Cells Give Leukemia Patient a Second Chance 1/14/2009 Melbourn resident Grahm Barnell took the chance of his life and travelled to Seattle to become the eighth person in the world to undergo a pioneering stem cell transplant technique that uses stem cells grown in a laboratory from a donated umbilical cord to regenerate bone marrow. After a two-year odyssey through the darkest ravages of the rare and deadly form of myeloid leukemia, Mr Barnell is apparently cured, thanks to a revolutionary stem cell procedure only now emerging in the US Keep reading >

Young Leukemia Patient Cancer-Free After Receiving Stem Cells From ... 1/12/2009 A two-year-old child from Florida is free of signs of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, a rare form of pediatric leukemia, after receiving a stem cell trasplant from umbilical cord blood. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia generally affects children under the age of five and comprises less than 1 percent of infant leukemias. Adolfo Gonzalez was diagnosed with JMML when he was 13 months old. "Adolfo Gonzalez would most likely not be alive today if it weren't for the cord blood transplant," Dr. Gary Kleiner, a pediatric immunologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said in a statement. "The mother who donated her cord blood to the public cord blood bank at New York's National Cord Blood Program basically saved his life." Keep reading >

ALS Patient Travels to Mexico for Stem Cell Treatment 12/27/2008 So far, Lou Gehrigs disease has not stopped Kerry Alvarado from trying to enjoy life. However, the 52-year-old ALS patient has decided to take one more step in her quest to beat the disease she has been forced to live with. Kerry has been travelling to Mexico to undergo stem cell treatment. Doctors and stem cell researchers are hoping they can successfully transform umbilical cord blood stem cells into healthy spinal cord cells and neural cells that will replace damaged cells throughout Kerrys body. The stem cell transplant in Mexico will ultimately allow Kerry and her family to enjoy the rest of her life. Keep reading >

Childs Stem Cell Recovery Deemed A Miracle December 26, 2008 For the first years of his life, Adolfo Gonzalez suffered greatly as a result of a rare form of childhood cancer. After receiving two trial stem cell treatment procedures, there are no more leukemia cells in Adolfos body, and he can finally live a normal life. The stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood successfully grew in Adolfos own bone marrow and replaced all cancerous white blood cells. Doctors are calling the boys recovery a miracle, all thanks to umbilical cord blood stem cells. Read More >

Legally Blind Child Undergoes Stem Cell Transplant in China 12/26/2008 Xavier Carballo, a five-year-old boy diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia at the age of two, can finally read printed books. For the first part of his life, Xavier was legally blind. After receiving a series of stem cell transplants in China, he can now see. Xavier has undergone six successful umbilical cord blood transfusions, his parents say they noticed improvements following the very first stem cell treatment session. Xaviers doctors in China recently commented that the umbilical cord blood transplants have led to definite and measurable improvements, and the boys health will continue to improve for months following the treatments. Keep reading >

Mother and Daughter Travel to Thailand for Stem Cell Transplantation 12/26/2008 For the majority of her young life, Bailey Walker has suffered from optic nerve hypoplasia, a disorder that has left her legally blind. To treat this congenital condition, Baileys parents have decided to take her to Thailand to undergo a stem cell treatment that will hopefully allow her to see. Next May, Bailey will receive a month-long series of umbilical cord blood transplants that will replace damaged cells in her spinal cord. Baileys parents show no hesitation or qualms about making the trip to Thailand, as the promise of this procedure gives them hope for a normal life for their beautiful daughter. Keep reading >

Stem Cell Transplant in China Gives Hope to 21-Month Old 12/22/2008 After undergoing an umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant in China, 21-month old Luke Pickett is happily back with his family in the United States. The stem cells were injected into Lukes spinal cord in an effort to combat spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Thanks to the donated umbilical cord blood, Lukes family has noticed dramatic changes in his gross motor skills since his return from China. Doctors and researchers hope that stem cell transplants can be used to treat cerebral palsy in the United States in the near future. Keep reading > Four-year Old Receives Life Saving Stem Cell Treatment 12/14/2008 Brandon Meike, a four-year old boy suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, can now stand with his feet flat on the floor thanks to a recent stem cell treatment. Brandon and his family travelled all the way to China to receive a series of four stem cell injections and extensive physical therapy, the combination of which has opened doors for stem cell research and treatments in the United States. Brandons stem cell injections were taken from umbilical cord blood, and as a result, the four-year old is experiencing incredible and lasting improvements. Keep reading >

First Transplant of A Whole Organ Grown from Patient's Own Cells 12/10/2008 Daily Mail - UK Last week she was revealed to the world as the first person to receive a whole transplant organ grown from her own stem cells. ... Keep reading >

3-Year Old Seeks Stem Cell Transplantation to Cure Rare Skin Disorder 12/7/2008 For Payton Thorton, childhood has been a very different experience from what most children live through at that age. Payton was born with recessive dystrophic EB, a disease that affects 2 of every one million births, and as a result, Payton lacks a critical protein that would enable his skin to effectively stick together. In 2007, Payton underwent a stem cell transplantation that consisted of inserting bone marrow and umbilical cord blood collected from his brother. After this treatment, Paytons body began producing the missing protein. Keep reading >

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Top 5 Things to Look for in a Cord Blood Bank

1. Longevity & Financial Stability Look for a publicly traded company that is stable and has been in business for a while. Youll want to make sure to choose a company that will still be there when you need it.

2. Track Record of Successful Transplants You can verify a companys reputability by confirming that successful transplants have been made in the companys history.

3. Expense While its hard to place a value on your newborns stem cells, expenditures are something we all must consider in this economy. Look for a firm that offers financing and all-inclusive rates.

4. Accreditation Cord blood banking is regulated by the FDA. Choose a company that is FDA registered, licensed where required, and accredited by an outside organization.

5. Industry Leadership If a firm has a high number of existing clients, a proven track record, and a strong reputation in the industry, you can bet theyre the right choice.

Selecting a bank to store your familys cord blood is an important decision. Do your research, and find a cord blood bank you can trust with your newborns stem cells.

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