Use of Stem Cells for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Horses.
Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used as a regenerative therapy in horses for musculoskeletal injury since the late 1990s and in some regions are standard of care for certain injuries. Yet, there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved MSC therapeutic in the United States for horses. In humans, lack of regulatory approval in the United States has been caused by failure of late-phase clinical trials to demonstrate consistent efficacy, perhaps because of nonuniformity of MSC preparation and application techniques. This article discusses clinical evidence for musculoskeletal applications of MSCs in the horse and current challenges to marketing approval.
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2023-08-23 PubMed ID: 37625917DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2023.07.003Google 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.
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Summary
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The research article focus on the use of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a treatment for musculoskeletal injuries in horses, considering the current regulatory hurdles and inconsistent clinical results.
Introduction to Mesenchymal Stem Cells
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult stem cells with the capacity to differentiate into various cell types, including those needed in musculoskeletal tissues.
- They have been used for regenerative therapy in horses to treat musculoskeletal injuries since the 1990s and have become a standard treatment in some regions.
- Despite the extended use of MSCs therapy in veterinary practice, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has yet to approve an MSC-based therapeutic for horses.
Regulatory Challenges and Approvals
- One of the main issues highlighted in the article is the regulatory challenge of getting an FDA-approval for MSC therapeutics in horses.
- In humans, this challenge is often due to the failure of late-phase clinical trials to show consistent efficacy, which the article suggests could be attributed to non-uniformity in the preparation and application techniques of MSCs.
- As such, while MSC treatments may be standard care for certain injuries in some regions, they are yet to gain widespread regulatory approval, at least in the United States.
Study of MSCs Application Efficacy and Challenges
- The research paper then discusses the clinical evidence for the use of MSCs in treating musculoskeletal injuries in horses.
- While it highlights that there are still significant gaps in our understanding and hence inconsistency in the results, the existing evidence does demonstrate potential benefits of MSC therapy in this context.
- There are, however, hurdles to the more widespread application and marketing approval of MSCs, often due to these inconsistencies and challenges in demonstrating efficacy across different settings and applications.
Conclusion
- In conclusion, the article argues for further research into the application of MSCs in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses.
- Despite the current challenges and regulatory hurdles, the researchers advocate for the potential of MSC therapy in veterinary medicine, provided these issues can be satisfactorily addressed through more rigorous and standardized methodologies in both research and treatment applications.
Cite This Article
APA
Watts AE.
(2023).
Use of Stem Cells for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Horses.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, S0749-0739(23)00051-2.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2023.07.003 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- 10310 Dyess Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA. Electronic address: ashleewattsdvm@gmail.com.