Transplantation of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells for acute thoracolumbar disc disease with no deep pain perception in dogs

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in veterinary ophthalmology: clinical evidence and prospects

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy presents a promising strategy for treating various ocular conditions in veterinary medicine. This review explores the therapeutic potential of MSCs in managing corneal ulcers, immune-mediated keratitis, chronic superficial keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, retinal degeneration, and ocular burns in feline, equine, and canine patients. Studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory and regenerative properties of MSCs, highlighting their ability to mitigate inflammation and promote tissue regeneration. Experimental studies have shown the potential of MSC therapy in reducing corneal opacity and vascularization, indicating significant therapeutic advantages. Delivery methods play a crucial role in optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs in ocular diseases. Various delivery methods, such as intravitreal injection, subconjunctival injection, topical administration, and scaffold-mediated delivery, are being explored to optimize MSC delivery to the target ocular tissues. Clinical trials have shown significant improvements in clinical signs following MSC therapy, underscoring its efficacy in treating ocular diseases. Additionally, tissue engineering approaches incorporating MSCs, growth factors, and scaffolds offer innovative strategies for corneal regeneration and tissue repair. Despite challenges such as standardization of protocols and long-term safety assessment, ongoing research endeavours seek to unlock the full therapeutic potential of MSC therapy in ocular diseases. Future prospects in MSC therapy involve exploring scaffold and hydrogel-based approaches and cell-free therapies leveraging the bioactive molecules released by MSCs. Continued research and development efforts are essential to unlock the full therapeutic potential of MSCs and realize their transformative impact on ocular diseases in veterinary patients.

Intravenous injection of allogenic canine mesenchymal stem cells in 40 client-owned dogs: a safety assessment in veterinary clinical trials

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplanted via intravenous infusion in dogs and examine their safety. We performed a retrospective analysis of various clinical assessments, including physical examination, blood tests, and radiographs, and monitored the formation of neoplasms during a 6-month follow-up period in 40 client-owned dogs that received intravenous infusion of adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) for the treatment of various underlying diseases between 2012 and 2018.

RESULTS

No significant adverse effects of MSC therapy were detected by clinical assessment, blood tests, or radiographic examination in the 6-month follow-up period after the first MSC treatment. Additionally no new neoplasms were observed during this period.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the safety aspects (≥ 6 months) associated with intravenous allogeneic AT-MSC infusion. These results suggest that allogenic AT-MSC infusion could be a useful and relatively safe therapeutic approach in canines.

Adipose-derived stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries: Advances, challenges, and future directions

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has limited treatment options for regaining function. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) show promise owing to their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, promote nerve cell survival, and modulate inflammation. This review explores ADSC therapy for SCI, focusing on its potential for improving function, preclinical and early clinical trial progress, challenges, and future directions. Preclinical studies have demonstrated ADSC transplantation's effectiveness in promoting functional recovery, reducing cavity formation, and enhancing nerve regrowth and myelin repair. To improve ADSC efficacy, strategies including genetic modification and combination with rehabilitation are being explored. Early clinical trials have shown safety and feasibility, with some suggesting motor and sensory function improvements. Challenges remain for clinical translation, including optimizing cell survival and delivery, determining dosing, addressing tumor formation risks, and establishing standardized protocols. Future research should focus on overcoming these challenges and exploring the potential for combining ADSC therapy with other treatments, including rehabilitation and medication.

Current Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapies Applied to Wounds and Skin, Eye, and Neuromuscular Diseases in Companion Animals

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a very promising alternative tool in cell therapies and regenerative medicine due to their ease of obtaining from various tissues and their ability to differentiate into different cell types. This manuscript provides a review of current knowledge on the use of MSC-based therapies as an alternative for certain common pathologies in dogs and cats where conventional treatments are ineffective. The aim of this review is to assist clinical veterinarians in making decisions about the suitability of each protocol from a clinical perspective, rather than focusing solely on research. MSC-based therapies have shown promising results in certain pathologies, such as spinal cord injuries, wounds, and skin and eye diseases. However, the effectiveness of these cell therapies can be influenced by a wide array of factors, leading to varying outcomes. Future research will focus on designing protocols and methodologies that allow more precise and effective MSC treatments for each case.

The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome (Extracellular Microvesicles and Exosomes) in Animals' Musculoskeletal and Neurologic-Related Disorders

The advances in regenerative medicine are very important for the development of medicine and the discovery of stem cells has shown a greater capacity to raise the level of therapeutic quality while their use becomes more accessible, especially in their mesenchymal form. In veterinary medicine, it is not different. The use of those cells, as well as recent advances related to the use of their extracellular vesicles, demonstrates a great opportunity to enhance therapeutic methods and ensure more life quality for patients, which can be in clinical or surgical treatments. Knowing the advances in these modalities and the growing clinical and surgery research and demands for innovations in orthopedic and neurology medicines, this paper aimed to review the literature about the methodologies of use and applications such as the pathways of action and the advances that were postulated for microvesicles and exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells in veterinary medicine, especially for musculoskeletal disorders and related injuries.

An update on animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration and low back pain: Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to improve research analysis and development of prospective therapeutics

Animal models have been invaluable in the identification of molecular events occurring in and contributing to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and important therapeutic targets have been identified. Some outstanding animal models (murine, ovine, chondrodystrophoid canine) have been identified with their own strengths and weaknesses. The llama/alpaca, horse and kangaroo have emerged as new large species for IVD studies, and only time will tell if they will surpass the utility of existing models. The complexity of IVD degeneration poses difficulties in the selection of the most appropriate molecular target of many potential candidates, to focus on in the formulation of strategies to effect disc repair and regeneration. It may well be that many therapeutic objectives should be targeted simultaneously to effect a favorable outcome in human IVD degeneration. Use of animal models in isolation will not allow resolution of this complex issue and a paradigm shift and adoption of new methodologies is required to provide the next step forward in the determination of an effective repairative strategy for the IVD. AI has improved the accuracy and assessment of spinal imaging supporting clinical diagnostics and research efforts to better understand IVD degeneration and its treatment. Implementation of AI in the evaluation of histology data has improved the usefulness of a popular murine IVD model and could also be used in an ovine histopathological grading scheme that has been used to quantify degenerative IVD changes and stem cell mediated regeneration. These models are also attractive candidates for the evaluation of novel anti-oxidant compounds that counter inflammatory conditions in degenerate IVDs and promote IVD regeneration. Some of these compounds also have pain-relieving properties. AI has facilitated development of facial recognition pain assessment in animal IVD models offering the possibility of correlating the potential pain alleviating properties of some of these compounds with IVD regeneration.

Manufacturing Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Canine Patients: Challenges and Recommendations

The recent interest in advanced biologic therapies in veterinary medicine has opened up opportunities for new treatment modalities with considerable clinical potential. Studies with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from animal species have focused on in vitro characterization (mostly following protocols developed for human application), experimental testing in controlled studies and clinical use in veterinary patients. The ability of MSCs to interact with the inflammatory environment through immunomodulatory and paracrine mechanisms makes them a good candidate for treatment of inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions in canine species. Analysis of existing data shows promising results in the treatment of canine hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis and rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in both sport and companion animals. Despite the absence of clear regulatory frameworks for veterinary advanced therapy medicinal products, there has been an increase in the number of commercial cell-based products that are available for clinical applications, and currently the commercial use of veterinary MSC products has outpaced basic research on characterization of the cell product. In the absence of quality standards for MSCs for use in canine patients, their safety, clinical efficacy and production standards are uncertain, leading to a risk of poor product consistency. To deliver high-quality MSC products for veterinary use in the future, there are critical issues that need to be addressed. By translating standards and strategies applied in human MSC manufacturing to products for veterinary use, in a collaborative effort between stem cell scientists and veterinary researchers and surgeons, we hope to facilitate the development of quality standards. We point out critical issues that need to be addressed, including a much higher level of attention to cell characterization, manufacturing standards and release criteria. We provide a set of recommendations that will contribute to the standardization of cell manufacturing methods and better quality assurance.

Laparoscopic adipose-derived stem cell harvest technique with bipolar sealing device: Outcome in 12 dogs

Objective

This study aimed to describe the technique and clinical outcomes in dogs undergoing Laparoscopic Adipose‐Derived Stem Cell Harvest via bipolar sealing device (LADSCHB) for degenerative orthopaedic and neurologic disease.

Study Design

Descriptive retrospective case series.

Animals

Eleven dogs with orthopaedic disease and one dog with degenerative spinal disease were enrolled in the study.

Methods

Medical records of dogs undergoing LADSCHB were reviewed for signalment, weight, reason for the procedure, anaesthesia time, surgery time, other procedures performed, post‐operative pain protocols, incision size, amount of adipose tissue collected, number of viable cells collected, days to discharge, short‐term complications, and owner satisfaction.

Results

The median weight of the population was 34.2 kg (range 9.2–62 kg), the median surgery time was 39 min (range 15–45 min), mean incision length was 2.5 cm, the median amount of adipose collected was 60 g, and the median number of viable stem cells was 21 million cells. Conversion to open laparotomy was not needed. The most common reason for the harvest was osteoarthritis of the elbow (8/12 cases). Nine cases had other procedures performed at the same time as the harvest. No complications were noted during the procedure or within the post‐operative period. All owners surveyed were satisfied with the laparoscopic harvest procedure.

Conclusions

LADSCHB was technically feasible, productive, and not associated with any complications. This procedure was performed rapidly and was paired with other surgical procedures.

Clinical Significance

LADSCHB allows for stem cell harvest with commonly utilized laparoscopic equipment. This surgical technique could lead to the increased ability to treat patients with diseases that benefit from stem cell therapy.

A systematic review of large animal and human studies of stem cell therapeutics for acute adult traumatic spinal cord injury

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is a devastating condition and the search for a cure remains one of the most tenacious healthcare challenges to date. Current therapies are limited in their efficacy to restore full neurological function – resulting in lifelong disability and loss of autonomy. Whilst there remains a necessity to refine therapeutic protocols, stem cell (SC) studies have shown promise in the mending and re-establishment of the spinal cord neuroanatomy. Objectives: We conducted a systematic review of functional outcomes in stem cell therapeutics over the last three decades in large animals and humans. Methods: Medline, Embase, Cochrane and SCOPUS databases were searched for potentially pertinent articles from 1990 to 2020. Studies published in English were included if the stem cells were directly injected into the intraspinal, epidural or intrathecal compartments within two weeks of a traumatic mechanism of injury, including acute intervertebral disc prolapse. The participants were either large animals – defined as canine, porcine or non-human primate in-vivo models – or human patients. Results: Nine studies were included in this review. Statistically significant improvements in motor function and deep pain perception were seen at 8 weeks to 6 months post-SC injection compared to controls. Limitations: Functional outcomes are variably measured across studies. Almost all studies used experimentally induced trauma, which may not accurately represent the complexity of human spinal cord injury. Due to the exclusion criteria, there were no non-human primate studies included, yet these animal models are considered a closer anatomical match to humans than other large mammals. No human studies were included. Conclusions and Implications: Autologous and allogeneic stem cells have been trialled for the reconstitution of damaged and lost cells, remyelination of axons and remodelling of the pathophysiological microenvironment within the injured spinal cord, with some promising outcome data. This may translate to more successful future Phase I/II human clinical trials into the use of stem cells after TSCI in adults.

The Long-Term Efficacy Study of Multiple Allogeneic Canine Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantations Combined With Surgery in Four Dogs With Lumbosacral Spinal Cord Injury

Severe lumbosacral pain, paraparesis or paraplegia, and urinary incontinence are common but frustrating problems in dogs with lumbosacral spinal cord injury (SCI). The surgical interventions including stabilization and decompression may not restore satisfying neurological functions in severe SCI. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) show benefits in immunomodulation, anti-inflammation, and promotion of axonal growth and remyelination, and also display efficacy in several diseases in veterinary medicine. In this report, four dogs presented with fracture of sacrum vertebrae or fracture of seventh lumbar and lumbosacral displacement after road traffic accidents. The clinical signs include lumbosacral pain (4/4), paraparesis (3/4), paraplegia (1/4), and urinary incontinence (4/4). All dogs were treated by surgical decompression with or without stabilization 1 to 7 weeks after trauma. Allogeneic canine Ad-MSCs (cAd-MSCs) were injected locally on nerve roots through the surgical region in all dogs. One dose of intravenous transplantation and 4 doses of local transplantation were also performed within 8 weeks after the surgery separately. All dogs showed significant neurological improvements with normal ambulatory ability (4/4) and urinary control (3/4) 3 months after the surgery and the first cAd-MSCs transplantation. No side effect was related to multiple cAd-MSCs transplantations during 6 months monitoring in all dogs. In conclusion, multiple cAd-MSCs transplantations could be a recommended treatment combined with surgery in dogs with lumbosacral SCI.

Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in direct and indirect damage to neural tissues, which results in motor and sensory dysfunction, dystonia, and pathological reflex that ultimately lead to paraplegia or tetraplegia. A loss of cells, axon regeneration failure, and time-sensitive pathophysiology make tissue repair difficult. Despite various medical developments, there are currently no effective regenerative treatments. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for SCI due to its multiple targets and reactivity benefits. The present review focuses on SCI stem cell therapy, including bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, umbilical mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and extracellular vesicles. Each cell type targets certain features of SCI pathology and shows therapeutic effects via cell replacement, nutritional support, scaffolds, and immunomodulation mechanisms. However, many preclinical studies and a growing number of clinical trials found that single-cell treatments had only limited benefits for SCI. SCI damage is multifaceted, and there is a growing consensus that a combined treatment is needed.

Emerging and Adjunctive Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury Following Acute Canine Intervertebral Disc Herniation

Some dogs do not make a full recovery following medical or surgical management of acute canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH), highlighting the limits of currently available treatment options. The multitude of difficulties in treating severe spinal cord injury are well-recognized, and they have spurred intense laboratory research, resulting in a broad range of strategies that might have value in treating spinal cord-injured dogs. These include interventions that aim to directly repair the spinal cord lesion, promote axonal sparing or regeneration, mitigate secondary injury through neuroprotective mechanisms, or facilitate functional compensation. Despite initial promise in experimental models, many of these techniques have failed or shown mild efficacy in clinical trials in humans and dogs, although high quality evidence is lacking for many of these interventions. However, the continued introduction of new options to the veterinary clinic remains important for expanding our understanding of the mechanisms of injury and repair and for development of novel and combined strategies for severely affected dogs. This review outlines adjunctive or emerging therapies that have been proposed as treatment options for dogs with acute IVDH, including discussion of local or lesion-based approaches as well as systemically applied treatments in both acute and subacute-to-chronic settings. These interventions include low-level laser therapy, electromagnetic fields or oscillating electrical fields, adjunctive surgical techniques (myelotomy or durotomy), systemically or locally-applied hypothermia, neuroprotective chemicals, physical rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, electroacupuncture, electrical stimulation of the spinal cord or specific peripheral nerves, nerve grafting strategies, 4-aminopyridine, chondroitinase ABC, and cell transplantation.

Challenges of stem cell therapies in companion animal practice

Regenerative medicine using stem cells from various sources are emerging treatment modality in several refractory diseases in veterinary medicine. It is well-known that stem cells can differentiate into specific cell types, self-renew, and regenerate. In addition, the unique immunomodulatory effects of stem cells have made stem cell transplantation a promising option for treating a wide range of disease and injuries. Recently, the medical demands for companion animals have been rapidly increasing, and certain disease conditions require alternative treatment options. In this review, we focused on stem cell application research in companion animals including experimental models, case reports and clinical trials in dogs and cats. The clinical studies and therapeutic protocols were categorized, evaluated and summarized according to the organ systems involved. The results indicate that evidence for the effectiveness of cell-based treatment in specific diseases or organ systems is not yet conclusive. Nonetheless, stem cell therapy may be a realistic treatment option in the near future, therefore, considerable efforts are needed to find optimized cell sources, cell numbers and delivery methods in order to standardize treatment methods and evaluation processes.

An In Vitro Comparison of the Neurotrophic and Angiogenic Activity of Human and Canine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): Translating MSC-Based Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury

The majority of research into the effects of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplants on spinal cord injury (SCI) is performed in rodent models, which may help inform on mechanisms of action, but does not represent the scale and wound heterogeneity seen in human SCI. In contrast, SCI in dogs occurs naturally, is more akin to human SCI, and can be used to help address important aspects of the development of human MSC-based therapies. To enable translation to the clinic and comparison across species, we have examined the paracrine, regenerative capacity of human and canine adipose-derived MSCs in vitro. MSCs were initially phenotyped according to tissue culture plastic adherence, cluster of differentiation (CD) immunoprofiling and tri-lineage differentiation potential. Conditioned medium (CM) from MSC cultures was then assessed for its neurotrophic and angiogenic activity using established cell-based assays. MSC CM significantly increased neuronal cell proliferation, neurite outgrowth, and βIII tubulin immunopositivity. In addition, MSC CM significantly increased endothelial cell migration, cell proliferation and the formation of tubule-like structures in Matrigel assays. There were no marked or significant differences in the capacity of human or canine MSC CM to stimulate neuronal cell or endothelial cell activity. Hence, this study supports the use of MSC transplants for canine SCI; furthermore, it increases understanding of how this may subsequently provide useful information and translate to MSC transplants for human SCI.

Is Stem Cell Commerce in Small Animal Therapies Scientifically and Morally Justified?

The lack of clear regulations for the use of veterinary stem cells has triggered the commercialization of unproven experimental therapies for companion animal diseases. Adult stem cells have complex biological characteristics that are directly related to the therapeutic application, but several questions remain to be answered. In order to regulate the use of these cells, well-conducted, controlled scientific studies that generate high-quality data should be performed, in order to assess the efficacy and safety of the intended treatment. This paper discusses the scientific challenges of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in veterinary regenerative medicine, and reviews published trials of adipose-tissue-derived stem cells in companion animal diseases that spontaneously occur.

Veterinary Regenerative Medicine for Musculoskeletal Disorders: Can Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells and Their Secretome Be the New Frontier?

Regenerative medicine aims to restore the normal function of diseased or damaged cells, tissues, and organs using a set of different approaches, including cell-based therapies. In the veterinary field, regenerative medicine is strongly related to the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which belong to the body repair system and are defined as multipotent progenitor cells, able to self-replicate and to differentiate into different cell types. This review aims to take stock of what is known about the MSCs and their use in the veterinary medicine focusing on clinical reports on dogs and horses in musculoskeletal diseases, a research field extensively reported in the literature data. Finally, a perspective regarding the use of the secretome and/or extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the veterinary field to replace parental MSCs is provided. The pharmaceuticalization of EVs is wished due to the realization of a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP product suitable for clinical trials.

Regenerative medicine for spinal cord injury: focus on stem cells and biomaterials

INTRODUCTION

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a dramatic medical pathology consequence of a trauma (primary injury). However, most of the post-traumatic degeneration of the tissue is caused by the so-called secondary injury, which is known to be a multifactorial process. This, indeed, includes a wide spectrum of events: blood-brain barrier dysfunction, local inflammation, neuronal death, demyelination and disconnection of nerve pathways.

AREAS COVERED

Cell therapy represents a promising cure to target diseases and disorders at the cellular level, by restoring cell population or using cells as carriers of therapeutic cargo. In particular, regenerative medicine with stem cells represents the most appealing category to be used, thanks to their peculiar features.

EXPERT OPINION

Many preclinical research studies demonstrated that cell treatment can improve animal sensory/motor functions and so demonstrated to be very promising for clinical trials. In particular, recent advances have led to the development of biomaterials aiming to promote in situ cell delivery. This review digs into this topic discussing the possibility of cell treatment to improve medical chances in SCI repair.

Stem Cell Therapy for Neurogenic Bladder After Spinal Cord Injury: Clinically Possible?

Neurogenic bladder (NB) after spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common complication that inhibits normal daily activities and reduces the quality of life. Regrettably, the current therapeutic methods for NB are inadequate. Therefore, numerous studies have been conducted to develop new treatments for NB associated with SCI. Moreover, a myriad of preclinical and clinical trials on the effects and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with SCI have been performed, and several studies have demonstrated improvements in urodynamic parameters, as well as in sensory and motor function, after stem cell therapy. These results are promising; however, further high-quality clinical studies are necessary to compensate for a lack of randomized trials, the modest number of participants, variation in the types of stem cells used, and inconsistency in routes of administration.

The Effect of Autologous Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells' Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Spinal Cord Injury in a Domestic Ferret Patient

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is considered as one of the most problematic neurological conditions requiring specialized clinical intervention. Taking into account that SCI is characterized by extensive loss of nerve cells, stem cell-based therapy seems to be a reasonable modern strategy to the treatment of SCI. The presented case report describes for the first time experimental treatment with the use of autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) of the chronic posttraumatic SCI in a domestic ferret patient with paresis of back legs. It should be noted that most reports in the available literature concern ADSC-based therapies for acute or subacute SCI treatment in other species. Application of ADSC-based therapy did not cause any adverse reactions and resulted in significant improvement of neurological and motor functions. Based on these outcomes, it may be concluded that this form of therapy is promising and may be potentially translated into clinical veterinary practice.

Crosstalk between stem cell and spinal cord injury: pathophysiology and treatment strategies

The injured spinal cord is difficult to repair and regenerate. Traditional treatments are not effective. Stem cells are a type of cells that have the potential to differentiate into various cells, including neurons. They exert a therapeutic effect by safely and effectively differentiating into neurons or replacing damaged cells, secreting neurotrophic factors, and inhibiting the inflammatory response. Many types of stem cells have been used for transplantation, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. This review discusses the possible mechanisms of stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury, and the types of stem cells commonly used in experiments, to provide a reference for basic and clinical research on stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury.

Isolation of canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells from falciform tissue obtained via laparoscopic morcellation: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the feasibility of stem cell isolation from falciform fat harvested via laparoscopic morcellation.

STUDY DESIGN

Pilot study.

ANIMALS

Eleven client-owned dogs.

METHODS

Falciform was harvested traditionally via laparotomy and laparoscopically via tissue morcellation. Harvested tissue was processed with a commercially available adipose tissue dissociation kit to obtain a stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Cells were subsequently labeled for CD90, CD45, and CD44 cell surface antigens by using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting flow cytometry. CD90⁺ cells were quantitated, and their viability was assessed with a hemocytometer and a trypan blue exclusion test of cell viability.

RESULTS

No perioperative complications occurred in dogs undergoing laparoscopic morcellation. Laparoscopically and traditionally harvested samples yielded an average of 0.39 (±0.1) × 10⁶ and 0.33 (±0.1) × 10⁶ CD90⁺ cells, respectively, per 10 million SVF cells. CD90⁺ cell viability after MACS was 89% (±11%) for morcellated and 86% (±7%) for traditionally harvested samples. Neither CD90⁺ cell quantity nor viability was different between samples obtained via traditional laparotomy vs laparoscopic morcellation (P = .38 and P = .63, respectively). Populations of CD90⁺ cells isolated with each harvest technique had similar CD44 and CD45 expression profiles.

CONCLUSION

Viable populations of CD90⁺ cells with similar CD44/CD45 expression profiles were isolated from laparoscopically morcellated and traditionally harvested falciform tissue. No appreciable morbidity was associated with laparoscopic falciform morcellation.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Laparoscopic morcellation is a safe and effective minimally invasive approach to falciform tissue harvest for adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell isolation.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury: Current Options, Limitations, and Future of Cell Therapy

Spinal cord injury (SCI) constitutes an inestimable public health issue. The most crucial phase in the pathophysiological process of SCI concerns the well-known secondary injury, which is the uncontrolled and destructive cascade occurring later with aberrant molecular signaling, inflammation, vascular changes, and secondary cellular dysfunctions. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents one of the most important and promising tested strategies. Their appeal, among the other sources and types of stem cells, increased because of their ease of isolation/preservation and their properties. Nevertheless, encouraging promise from preclinical studies was followed by weak and conflicting results in clinical trials. In this review, the therapeutic role of MSCs is discussed, together with their properties, application, limitations, and future perspectives.

Combination of stem cells from deciduous teeth and electroacupuncture for therapy in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury: A pilot study

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition that causes profound economic and emotional impact in human patients and companion animal owners. It has been shown that the neurogenic effects of the stem cells are enhanced when combined with electroacupuncture (EA) in rodent models of SCI. To determine the safety and feasibility of combining transplantation of allogenic stem cells derived from canine exfoliated deciduous teeth (SCED) and EA in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury a canine pilot clinical study was conducted. A total of 16 individuals ranging from 5 to 11 years at 3 to 18 months of injury were investigated and randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups (SCED, EA, SCED + EA, control). Mild neurological and functional improvements were seen in all 4 groups. There was no clinical progression or mortality of the cases occurred in a follow up of 7 months after procedure. The study shows that SCED transplantation and electroacupuncture were feasible, safe and potentially beneficial. However Long-term patient monitoring is necessary to rule out any delayed side effects and assess any further improvements.

Stem cell paracrine effect and delivery strategies for spinal cord injury regeneration

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complicated neuropathological condition that results in functional dysfunction and paralysis. Various treatments have been proposed including drugs, biological factors and cells administered in several ways. Stem cell therapy offers a potentially revolutionary mode to repair the damaged spinal cord after injury. Initially, stem cells were considered promising for replacing cells and tissue lost after SCI. Many studies looked at their differentiation to replace neuronal and glial cells for a better functional outcome. However, it is becoming clear that different functional improvements recognized to stem cells are due to biomolecular activities by the transplanted stem cells rather than cell replacement. This review aimed to discuss the paracrine mechanisms for tissue repair and regeneration after stem cell transplantation in SCI. It focuses on stem cell factor production, effect in tissue restoration, and novel delivery strategies to use them for SCI therapy.

Current Status of Canine Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Veterinary Medicine

Stem cell therapy has prompted the expansion of veterinary medicine both experimentally and clinically, with the potential to contribute to contemporary treatment strategies for various diseases and conditions for which limited or no therapeutic options are presently available. Although the application of various types of stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs), and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs), has promising potential to improve the health of different species, it is crucial that the benefits and drawbacks are completely evaluated before use. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of stem cells; nonetheless, isolation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from UCB presents technical challenges. Although MSCs have been isolated from UCB of diverse species such as human, equine, sheep, goat, and canine, there are inherent limitations of using UCB from these species for the expansion of MSCs. In this review, we investigated canine UCB (cUCB) and compared it with UCB from other species by reviewing recent articles published from February 2003 to June 2017 to gain an understanding of the limitations of cUCB in the acquisition of MSCs and to determine other suitable sources for the isolation of MSCs from canine. Our review indicates that cUCB is not an ideal source of MSCs because of insufficient volume and ethical issues. However, canine reproductive organs discarded during neutering may help broaden our understanding of effective isolation of MSCs. We recommend exploring canine reproductive and adipose tissue rather than UCB to fulfill the current need in veterinary medicine for the well-designed and ethically approved source of MSCs.

Single-Cell Phosphospecific Flow Cytometric Analysis of Canine and Murine Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

This study aimed to demonstrate single-cell phosphospecific flow cytometric analysis of canine and murine adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ADSCs). ADSCs were obtained from clinically healthy laboratory beagles and C57BL/6 mice. Cell differentiation into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes was observed for the cultured canine ADSCs (cADSCs) and murine ADSCs (mADSCs) to determine their multipotency. We also performed single-cell phosphospecific flow cytometric analysis related to cell differentiation and stemness. Cultured cADSCs and mADSCs exhibited the potential to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. In addition, single-cell phosphospecific flow cytometric analysis revealed similar β-catenin and Akt phosphorylation between mADSCs and cADSCs. On the other hand, it showed the phosphorylation of different Stat proteins. It was determined that cADSCs and mADSCs show the potential to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. Furthermore, a difference in protein phosphorylation between undifferentiated cADSCs and mADSCs was identified.

Current Options for Cell Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex pathology that evolves after primary acute mechanical injury, causing further damage to the spinal cord tissue that exacerbates clinical outcomes. Based on encouraging results from preclinical experiments, some cell treatments being translated into clinical practice demonstrate promising and effective improvement in sensory/motor function. Combinatorial treatments of cell and drug/biological factors have been demonstrated to be more effective than cell treatments alone. Recent advances have led to the development of biomaterials aiming to promote in situ cell delivery for SCI, together with combinatorial strategies using drugs/biomolecules to achieve a maximized multitarget approach. This review provides an overview of single and combinatorial regenerative cell treatments as well as potential delivery options to treat SCI.

Immunophenotypical characterization of canine mesenchymal stem cells from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue by a species-specific panel of antibodies

Immunophenotypical characterization of mesenchymal stem cells is fundamental for the design and execution of sound experimental and clinical studies. The scarce availability of species-specific antibodies for canine antigens has hampered the immunophenotypical characterization of canine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The aim of this study was to select a panel of species-specific direct antibodies readily useful for canine mesenchymal stem cells characterization. They were isolated from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples collected during regular surgeries from 8 dogs. Single color flow cytometric analysis of mesenchymal stem cells (P3) deriving from subcutaneous and perivisceral adipose tissue with a panel of 7 direct anti-canine antibodies revealed two largely homogenous cell populations with a similar pattern: CD29⁺, CD44⁺, CD73⁺, CD90⁺, CD34^-, CD45^- and MHC-II^- with no statistically significant differences among them. Antibody reactivity was demonstrated on canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The similarities are reinforced by their in vitro cell morphology, trilineage differentiation ability and RT-PCR analysis (CD90⁺, CD73⁺, CD105⁺, CD44⁺, CD13⁺, CD29⁺, Oct-4⁺ gene and CD31^- and CD45^- expression). Our results report for the first time a comparison between the immunophenotypic profile of canine MSC deriving from perivisceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. The substantial equivalence between the two populations has practical implication on clinical applications, giving the opportunity to choose the source depending on the patient needs. The results contribute to routine characterization of MSC populations grown in vitro, a mandatory process for the definition of solid and reproducible laboratory and therapeutic procedures.

Canine mesenchymal stem cells are neurotrophic and angiogenic: An in vitro assessment of their paracrine activity

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used in cell replacement therapies for connective tissue damage, but also can stimulate wound healing through paracrine activity. In order to further understand the potential use of MSCs to treat dogs with neurological disorders, this study examined the paracrine action of adipose-derived canine MSCs on neuronal and endothelial cell models. The culture-expanded MSCs exhibited a MSC phenotype according to plastic adherence, cell morphology, CD profiling and differentiation potential along mesenchymal lineages. Treating the SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line with serum-free MSC culture-conditioned medium (MSC CM) significantly increased SH-SY5Y cell proliferation (P <0.01), neurite outgrowth (P = 0.0055) and immunopositivity for the neuronal marker βIII-tubulin (P = 0.0002). Treatment of the EA.hy926 endothelial cell line with MSC CM significantly increased the rate of wound closure in endothelial cell scratch wound assays (P = 0.0409), which was associated with significantly increased endothelial cell proliferation (P <0.05) and migration (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, canine MSC CM induced endothelial tubule formation in EA.hy926 cells in a soluble basement membrane matrix. Hence, this study has demonstrated that adipose-derived canine MSC CM stimulated neuronal and endothelial cells probably through the paracrine activity of MSC-secreted factors. This supports the use of canine MSC transplants or their secreted products in the clinical treatment of dogs with neurological disorders and provides some insight into possible mechanisms of action.

Concise Review: Stem Cell Trials Using Companion Animal Disease Models

Studies to evaluate the therapeutic potential of stem cells in humans would benefit from more realistic animal models. In veterinary medicine, companion animals naturally develop many diseases that resemble human conditions, therefore, representing a novel source of preclinical models. To understand how companion animal disease models are being studied for this purpose, we reviewed the literature between 2008 and 2015 for reports on stem cell therapies in dogs and cats, excluding laboratory animals, induced disease models, cancer, and case reports. Disease models included osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration, dilated cardiomyopathy, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's fistulas, meningoencephalomyelitis (multiple sclerosis-like), keratoconjunctivitis sicca (Sjogren's syndrome-like), atopic dermatitis, and chronic (end-stage) kidney disease. Stem cells evaluated in these studies included mesenchymal stem-stromal cells (MSC, 17/19 trials), olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC, 1 trial), or neural lineage cells derived from bone marrow MSC (1 trial), and 16/19 studies were performed in dogs. The MSC studies (13/17) used adipose tissue-derived MSC from either allogeneic (8/13) or autologous (5/13) sources. The majority of studies were open label, uncontrolled studies. Endpoints and protocols were feasible, and the stem cell therapies were reportedly safe and elicited beneficial patient responses in all but two of the trials. In conclusion, companion animals with naturally occurring diseases analogous to human conditions can be recruited into clinical trials and provide realistic insight into feasibility, safety, and biologic activity of novel stem cell therapies. However, improvements in the rigor of manufacturing, study design, and regulatory compliance will be needed to better utilize these models. Stem Cells 2016;34:1709-1729.

Comparison of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Surface Markers from Bone Marrow Aspirates and Adipose Stromal Vascular Fraction Sites

The objective of this study was to subjectively evaluate the harvest of two areas of adipose collection and three areas of bone marrow collection as potential sites for clinical harvest of adipose stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and bone marrow concentrate for clinical use by quantifying the amount of tissue harvested, subjective ease of harvest, the variation of each site, and determining the cell surface marker characteristics using commercially available antibodies. Bone marrow and adipose tissue samples were collected from 10 adult mixed breed dogs. Adipose tissue was collected from the caudal scapular region and falciform fat ligament. Bone marrow aspirates were collected from the ilium, humerus, and tibia. Tissues were weighed (adipose) or measured by volume (bone marrow), processed to isolate the SVF or bone marrow concentrate, and flow cytometry was performed to quantitate the percentage of cells that were CD90, CD44 positive, and CD45 negative. Sites and tissue types were compared using matched pairs t-test. Subjectively subcutaneous fat collection was the most difficult and large amounts of tissue dissection were necessary. Additionally the subcutaneous area yielded less than the goal amount of tissue. The bone marrow harvest ranged from 10 to 27.5 ml. Adipose tissue had the highest concentration of cells with CD90⁺, CD44⁺, and CD45⁻ markers (P < 0.05), and bone marrow had the highest total number of these cells at harvest (P < 0.05). Variation was high for all sites, but the adipose collection yielded more consistent results. These results describe the relative cellular components in the SVF of adipose tissue and bone marrow as defined by the biomarkers chosen. Although bone marrow yielded higher absolute cell numbers on average, adipose tissue yielded more consistent results. Fat from the falciform ligament was easily obtained with less dissection and therefore created less perceived relative patient trauma.