Pets World Blog

Stem
Cell Therapy

by
Madalyn Ward, DVM

Stem
cells and stem cell therapy have received a lot of news coverage
lately, some of it controversial, so this month I’ve decided to
discuss stem cells in general, along with several approaches to stem
cell therapy. The stem cell therapies I advocate are both legal and
simple, especially with the advent of a new nutritional product
called Stemplex, which I’ll discuss a little later. But first, a
little about the stem cell itself…

Embryonic
Versus Adult Stem Cells

A
stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that can renew itself and
develop into at least three different types of tissue. Embryonic stem
cells are derived from early stage embryos and have the ability to
differentiate into all adult cell types. Embryonic stem cells behave
in a consistent way under a microscope but are much less predictable
when injected into the body. They can offer some benefits for
research but their use is controversial and they are not useful for
actual treatments.

Adult
stem cells reside in post-fetal animals. Examples are
linage-committed such as hematopoietic stem cells that become red or
white blood cells, or mesenchymal stem cells that can become many
types of tissue, including bone, tendon, ligament, cartilage, heart,
liver, or nerves. Sources of adult stem cells include bone marrow,
fat, brain tissue, and muscles. Of all the tissues, fat yields the
largest numbers of mesenchymal stem cells, while bone marrow or
umbilical blood yield more stem cells that will become red or white
blood cells.

Types
of Stem Cells

There
are several different categories of stem cells, including autologous,
allogenic, and xenogenic. Autologous stem cells are those derived
from the same animal. These are best for transplanting since there is
no concern about them being rejected. Allogenic stem cells are from a
donor of the same species. Since stem cells do not have the standard
cell surface markers that would trigger immune response, these cells
can potentially be used without fear of rejection by the host tissue.
Xenogenic stem cells come from a donor of another species, such as a
pig. Although one would expect these cells to be rejected, because of
their unique characteristics they can survive, in some cases, when
injected into the body of another species.

How
Do Stem Cells Work?

The
most commonly cited function of stem cells is their ability to
differentiate into different tissues but they also have other
abilities that can be very beneficial for healing. Stem cells produce
over 30 types of growth factors and tissue chemicals that stimulate
healing. Stem cells help recruit other local and systemic stem cells
to focus on repairing damaged tissue. They are also active in immune
modulation to promote or suppress T-cell function.

Stem
cells are triggered to move into an area by signals from the tissue
based on chemical, neural, and mechanical changes. Hypoxia, which is
lack of oxygen, and inflammation are strong triggers for stem cells
to target an injury, although the stems cells account for less than
half of the new tissue formed. The rest of the repair is done by
other cells recruited and managed by the initial stem cells. This is
why very tiny injections of stem cells are used. Injecting larger
numbers of stem cells into an injured area can actually interfere
with healing, since some of the injected cells die and must be
removed during the healing process.

Under
ideal conditions stem cells would respond to injuries and healing
would occur. Factors that affect stem cell response include the age
of the animal, the fitness of the animal, and the level of free
radicals in the body. Free radicals damage all cells, including stem
cells.

Stem
Cell Therapy in Horses

In
horses the repair of ligament injuries has shown the most promise.
Injuries to the ligaments in a horse’s lower leg are notoriously
difficult to heal. Stem cells harvested from the injured horse’s own
fat can be injected directly into the area of ligament damage to
stimulate healing with less scarring, which decreases the chance of
re-injury. In some cases bone marrow is harvested, but this tissue
must be cultured to increase the numbers of mesenchymal stem cells.

Another
promising stem cell therapy is based on increasing the numbers and
activity of the animal’s own stem cells using nutrition. Just as
scientists discovered that beta glucan is a nutrient that stimulates
the white blood cells called macrophages, researchers have now
identified nutrients that stimulate and cause the proliferation of
stem cells. Based on this research, Simplexity Health has developed a
product called Stemplex (TM) that contains green tea extract, wild
blueberry, the amino acid carnosine, blueberry extract, vitamin D,
and blue-green algae. I have been using this product on my own horse,
who has chronically contracted and sore heels. Within just a month I
am seeing improvement in his gait.

Stem
cell therapy has huge potential and should be considered as a healing
treatment for injuries or organ damage. In addition, systemic stem
cell therapy shows promise in treating neurological conditions.
Providing nutritional support for the body’s own stem cells is always
a good option, which can be supplemented by using targeted injections
of harvested stem cells. These injections are especially useful when
nutritional support does not create enough healing effect or the
injured area, such as ligaments in a horse’s lower leg , has poor
circulation.

About the author

Related Posts

• How Can Animal Assisted Therapy Help Children Create Memories?
• Kids And Animal Assisted Therapy
• Exercise Your Dog Safely By Bicycle
• Dog Prostatic Hypertrophy Or Enlarged Prostate Glands - Canine Health
• Canine Allergic Conjunctivitis