Stem cells in canine osteoarthritis. Part 3: clinical evidence and practical considerations

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent and debilitating condition in dogs, significantly impacting mobility and quality of life. Traditional management approaches focus on providing relief from clinical signs through analgesics, anti-inflammatories and physiotherapy. However, regenerative medicine, particularly mesenchymal stem cell therapy, offers a novel approach to addressing the underlying disease process. The final part of this three-part series examines the latest research and clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in canine osteoarthritis, providing insight into efficacy, protocols and practical considerations for veterinary professionals.

In human medicine, research strongly suggests that mesenchymal stem cell therapy is effective in relieving pain and improving joint function in patients experiencing osteoarthritis (Ma et al, 2020; Jiang et al, 2021). Clinical trials using mesenchymal stem cells in dogs with osteoarthritis adopt different methodologies, eg in their use of clinical metrics, but have shown beneficial outcomes. A systematic review of six clinical trials of the treatment of hip osteoarthritis in dogs with adipose-derived stem cells by Olsson et al (2021) found that adipose-derived stem cells given by intra-articular injection led to an improvement in clinical signs associated with osteoarthritis in dogs, and that autologous and allogenic adipose-derived stem cells were well tolerated, with no adverse events reported. Two of these were randomised controlled trials and four were before-and-after studies. All studies reported significantly better clinical outcomes in the adipose-derived stem cell group, with improvements in pain and function and decreased evidence of hip osteoarthritis (Cuervo et al, 2014; Marx et al, 2014; Vilar et al, 2014; Srzentić Dražilov et al, 2018).