AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELLS THERAPY IN HORSES AND DOGS WITH CHRONIC OSTEOARTHRITIS

Abstract . One of the fastest growing areas of veterinary medicine over the past decade has been and still is the regenerative medicine. It focuses on the reconstruction of damaged tissues/organs to restore their physiological and functional performance. The aim of study was the use of cells called mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as an alternative treatment method of osteoarthritis. Twelve dogs have been chosen for experiment aged 5 to 11 years. All animals were diagnosed with the degeneration of the elbow joint. The dogs were divided into 2 groups: 8 dogs formed the test group and the remaining 4 dogs formed the control group. The dogs from the first group were treated with autologous stem cells. The dogs in the control group received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) − mavacoxib for a period of 6 months. Clinical examination on the first day of the experiment showed signs of lameness of the 3rd and 2nd degree in all 12 dogs. The clinical tests performed on day 180 in the control group showed signs of gait disturbance at the unchanged level. The dogs undergoing treatment with the use of autologic stem cells did not show any movement disorders. The obtained results allow drawing the conclusion that the combination of the lowest concentrations of metamizol may significantly increase the cytophysiological activity of the stem cells accompanied by the lack of morphological changes. The obtained data can be a valuable source of information for practicing veterinary doctors who introduce stem cells to treat musculoskeletal system diseases in both small and large animals. Keywords: stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), osteoarthritis, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mavacoxib