Stem cell therapies for treating osteoarthritis: prescient or premature?
Abstract: There has been unprecedented interest in recent years in the use of stem cells as therapy for an array of diseases in companion animals. Stem cells have already been deployed therapeutically in a number of clinical settings, in particular the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat osteoarthritis in horses and dogs. However, an assessment of the scientific literature highlights a marked disparity between the purported benefits of stem cell therapies and their proven abilities as defined by rigorously controlled scientific studies. Although preliminary data generated from clinical trials in human patients are encouraging, therapies currently available to treat animals are supported by very limited clinical evidence, and the commercialisation of these treatments may be premature. This review introduces the three main types of stem cells relevant to veterinary applications, namely, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells, and draws together research findings from in vitro and in vivo studies to give an overview of current stem cell therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis in animals. Recent advances in tissue engineering, which is proposed as the future direction of stem cell-based therapy for osteoarthritis, are also discussed.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2014-09-30 PubMed ID: 25457267DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.09.024Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article reviews the use of stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells, in treating osteoarthritis in animals like horses and dogs, discussing the current lack of vigorous scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness and exploring their potential future use in tissue engineering.
Current Use of Stem Cells in Animal Therapy
- The paper begins by acknowledging the growing interest in the use of stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells, for treating diseases in companion animals like horses and dogs.
- Despite their prevalent use, the authors emphasize a significant discrepancy between the advertised benefits of stem cell therapies and the benefits that rigorous scientific studies have confirmed.
- In essence, the therapy’s actual effectiveness in treating osteoarthritis in animals is currently not very well supported by robust clinical evidence.
- This points out a concern that stem cell treatments may have been commercialized prematurely.
Types of Stem Cells in Veterinary Applications
- The authors introduce the three main types of stem cells relevant in veterinary use: embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells.
- Each of these stem cell types has its own potential benefits and limitations for use in treatments, and they have been variously explored through in vitro and in vivo studies.
Future Direction: Tissue Engineering
- The paper also discusses recent advancements in the field of tissue engineering, which could represent the future direction for stem cell-based therapies in treating osteoarthritis.
- Tissue engineering could potentially provide a way to utilize stem cells more effectively for treatment by combining them with other therapies or suitable delivery mechanisms.
- However, this approach to treating osteoarthritis in animals still needs further research to affirm its effectiveness and safety.
Conclusively…
- While stem cells have potential in treating osteoarthritis in companion animals, more rigorous scientific evidence is needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety.
- The future of such therapy may lie in tissue engineering, which could enhance the effectiveness of stem cells in treatment methodologies, though further research is necessary.
Cite This Article
APA
Whitworth DJ, Banks TA.
(2014).
Stem cell therapies for treating osteoarthritis: prescient or premature?
Vet J, 202(3), 416-424.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.09.024 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia. Electronic address: d.whitworth@uq.edu.au.
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Embryonic Stem Cells / transplantation
- Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / transplantation
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / veterinary
- Osteoarthritis / prevention & control
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Stem Cell Transplantation / statistics & numerical data
- Stem Cell Transplantation / veterinary
- Tissue Engineering / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 26 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
