Table 5. Veterinary clinical stem cell trials in musculoskeletal disease.
| Disease | Cell therapy | No. of dogs | Control | Evaluation periods/effects | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OA (hip joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 4.2–5 × 106 cells | 18 dogs divided to stem cell and control group (injection of placebo material) | Yes | At 30, 60, and 90 days; the results showed significantly improved scores for lameness and the compiled scores for lameness, pain, and range of motion. | [22] |
| OA (hip joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 30 × 106 cells | 9 dogs in stem cell group; 5 healthy dogs in control group | Yes | At 30, 90, 180 days; improvement of limb function in dogs with hip OA was objectively seen. | [25] |
| OA (hip joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 30 × 106 cells | 8 dogs in stem cell group; 5 healthy dogs in control group | Yes | At 30, 90, 180 days; reduced lameness due to OA was observed after stem cell therapy. | [26] |
| OA (hip joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 30 × 106 cells | 18 dogs in stem cell group; 17 dogs in PRGF group | Yes | At 1, 3, 6 months; Both groups showed safe and effective outcome and compared to PRGF, cell group showed better results at 6 months. | [114] |
| OA (hip joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 30 × 106 cells | 10 dogs in stem cell group; 5 healthy dogs in control group | Yes | At 30, 90, 180 days; MSC therapy significantly improved limb function in dogs with hip OA. | [115] |
| OA (elbow joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 3-5 × 106 cells | 14 dogs in stem cell group | No | At 30, 60, 90, and 180 days; statistically significant improvement in lameness, range of motion, and pain on manipulation over time was shown. | [116] |
| OA (humeroradial joint) | Autologous AD-MSCs; intraarticular injection; 3–5 × 106 cells | 4 dogs in stem cell group | No | At 1 week and 1 month; cellular therapy has a significant potential for clinical use inducing functional improvements. | [117] |
| Skeletal muscle injury | Autologous AD stem cells; case 1, intralesional and IV; 4.7 × 106 cells each, case 2, intralesional 7.5 × 106 cells and IV 3.8 × 106 cells | 2 dogs | No | At 19 weeks (case 1) and 22 weeks (case 2); significant reduction in lesion size and clinical improvements | [111] |
| Semitendinosus myopathy | Autologous AD-MSCs; intralesional and IV | 11 dogs in stem cell group | No | At 6 months and 1 year; stem cell treatment helped prevent progression, of the career-ending fibrosis and muscle contracture. | [112] |
| Gastrocnemius tendon strain | Autologous BMSCs; intralesional; 20 × 106 cells | 1 dog | No | At 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 days; successful functional outcome; incomplete healing with serial orthopedic and ultrasound examinations | [118] |
| Hip dysplasia | Autologous SVF (2–5 × 106 cells) or allogeneic AD-MSCs (2–8 × 105 cells); acupuncture point injection | 5 dogs in MSC group; 4 dogs in SVF group | No | At 7, 15, and 30 days; clear improvement was observed in both groups. | [24] |
SVF, stromal vascular fraction; PRGF, plasma rich in growth factors; AD-MSC, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell; MSC, mesenchymal stem cell; BMSC, bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell; OA, osteoarthritis.