For those of you who follow our blog, you probably know that we launched a human stem cell company in 2018. Click here for a refresher. Since then, Personalized Stem Cells (PSC) has received FDA approval for two investigational new drug (IND) applications. The first FDA approved clinical trial was for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and is currently in the end stages. The second IND was for a COVID-19 clinical trial.

Knee Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Update

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, PSC was able to successfully complete their first clinical trial in 2020. At the start of the pandemic, new patient enrollment was put on a brief hold. Once doctors were able to safely resume in-clinic procedures however, enrollment picked up again. By August 2020, PSC announced that patient enrollment was complete. Just a few short months later, the company announced that all clinical trial participants had received treatment.

Finally, in January, PSC announced that all the data was collected for the clinical trial and preparations for FDA submission began.  Once all of the data is submitted to the FDA, and assuming everything goes as planned, it is PSC’s goal to launch a larger, placebo-controlled knee trial later this year. Stay tuned for more information!

COVID-19 Clinical Trial Update

Another major accomplishment was receiving approval for a COVID-19 clinical trial. In the early days of the pandemic, PSC went to work to manufacture stem cells and secure FDA approval for a clinical trial to study the effects of stem cell therapy to treat COVID-19. We announced the news back in July here on the VetStem blog. But the good news didn’t stop there!

In October 2020, PSC entered into a licensing agreement with Sorrento Therapeutics and granted global rights to its allogeneic (donor-derived) stem cell program, including the COVID-19 clinical trial. This was a lucrative move for the company and allowed PSC experts to return focus to autologous (patient-derived) stem cell treatments.

Sorrento Therapeutics has reported positive preliminary results both in safety and efficacy for the COVID-19 clinical trial. At the time of announcement, four patients had completed stem cell treatment for COVID-19 and all four were discharged from the hospital. Additionally, there were no infusion related adverse events reported in any of the patients. Read more here.  

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All in all, it was a challenging, yet rewarding year for our human stem cell company, and very promising for potential patients! We continue to be amazed at the power of regenerative medicine and look forward to PSC launching additional FDA approved clinical trials in 2021!

Based on 15+ years of data, veterinarians primarily use VetStem Cell Therapy to treat dogs and horses. But cats have also benefited from stem cell therapy. In previous blogs, we have discussed stem cell therapy for various diseases in cats. For a good overview, read this blog.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Feline Kidney Disease

VetStem has processed nearly 400 feline fat samples to provide stem cells. Of these samples, over 50% have been for cats with kidney disease. Unfortunately, kidney failure may be the number one cause of sickness and death in older cats. Yet treatment options are limited and do not cure the disease.

Veterinarians have been treating feline kidney disease with VetStem Cell Therapy for over a decade. And we have seen some promising results! But nothing is as good as hearing about a kitty who experienced those results firsthand. This is Trinity’s story.

Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Plan

Trinity is a ragdoll cat who was diagnosed with renal failure when she was twelve years old. She had several symptoms including vomiting, not eating, lethargy, weakness, and weight loss. She was uninterested and spent a lot of time hiding. Her mom worked with several vets to find an effective treatment protocol for Trinity, but she continued to feel bad, and her blood kidney values kept going up.

Eventually, Trinity’s mom found Dr. Tamera Cole at The Animal Hospital at Steiner Ranch. Dr. Cole started Trinity on fluids and multiple medications to ease her symptoms and support her kidneys. Though Trinity’s mom noticed improvement, she continued to research additional treatment options.

Treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy

In her research, Trinity’s mom came across VetStem Cell Therapy and brought it up to Dr. Cole. Dr. Cole was already credentialed to perform the VetStem procedure and agreed that stem cell therapy may help Trinity.

She moved forward with the process and collected a sample of fat tissue from Trinity in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was processed at the VetStem laboratory and Trinity’s stem cells were extracted, concentrated, and divided into doses for treatment. Trinity received an intravenous dose of her own stem cells approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure. She went on to receive a second intravenous dose approximately two weeks later.

Trinity Gets Her Quality of Life Back

After stem cell therapy, Trinity’s owner maintained the previous treatment protocol with fluids and medications. Several months later, Dr. Cole tested Trinity’s blood work which showed no signs of kidney disease!

Her owner continued the treatment protocol and Trinity remained healthy, started eating again, and gained back all the weight she lost and more. Trinity’s mom stated, “I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to spend so many more years with Trinity. She is a continuous blessing in my life and as you can see from the picture, still shows up to work every day at my home office.”

Trinity is among several cats who have benefitted from VetStem Cell Therapy for kidney disease. Based upon data from a small number of feline patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy, blood kidney values were slightly to moderately improved after treatment. More evaluation is necessary, however these preliminary results suggest that stem cell therapy may be a viable treatment option for cats with kidney disease.

If your cat is suffering with kidney disease, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers in your area to determine if VetStem Cell Therapy may help your cat.

March 13^th is National K9 Veterans Day. This unofficial holiday was created to commemorate the service and sacrifices of all United States military and working dogs. Last year we shared the story of stem cell recipient Lex, the bomb-sniffing German Shepherd who was injured while on tour in Iraq. You can read Lex’s story here.

Honoring Police Dogs for K9 Veterans Day

For this year’s blog, we decided to focus on working dogs, or, more specifically, police dogs. These hard-working dogs must undergo intense training to become specialized in things such as explosive and drug detection as well as search and rescue. Two of the most utilized breeds are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.

Due to the nature of their work, police dogs, otherwise known as K-9s, experience increased wear and tear on their joints, muscles, and other soft tissue structures. This may lead to osteoarthritis or injuries. If an injury is bad enough, early retirement can become inevitable. And at a price of $8,000+ per dog plus another $12,000 to $15,000 in training costs, it is important to keep these K-9s healthy and agile.

Muscle Injuries in Police Dogs

Muscle injuries are not uncommon in working and agility dogs. One injury we see in the K-9 is an injury to the semitendinosus muscle, which is part of the hamstring muscle group. Injury to this muscle can result in a buildup of fibrosis, or scar tissue, which causes the muscle to contract and shorten. This contracture leads to lameness and an abnormal gait in the affected dog.

This condition, known as semitendinosus myopathy, can be career-ending for working dogs. Traditional treatments include rest, medication, rehabilitation, and surgery. Unfortunately, none of these methods have been fully successful, and many dogs do not return to their full activity.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Semitendinosus Myopathy

When a disease or condition lacks effective treatment options, we often wonder if stem cell therapy may help. So, as we are known to do, we investigated the use of stem cells for semitendinosus myopathy. And the results were incredibly promising! In a study of eight working police K-9s diagnosed with semitendinosus myopathy, treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy helped all eight dogs return to active police work. In addition, each dog’s gait returned to normal.

As with any condition, each patient is different. And VetStem Cell Therapy may not be the best option for all patients. If your dog has experienced a muscle injury, speak to your veterinarian to determine if VetStem Cell Therapy may help your dog. Or contact us to find a VetStem provider in your area.

Kingsley, a rottweiler, found his family in the emergency room. His mom, Dr. Bethany Mullins, was an ER veterinarian when Kingsley came in as a puppy. Despite the fact that he was an amputee with only three legs, Dr. Mullins adopted Kingsley immediately.

As a front let amputee, Kingsley’s remaining front leg was under extra stress. And when he was just eleven months old, he was diagnosed with osteoarthritis as a result of elbow dysplasia. Dr. Mullins reported that Kingsley could barely walk and due to the severity of his condition, surgery was not an option for him. Fortunately, the veterinary surgeon suggested treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Kingsley’s first stem cell treatment was in July 2010. He received one injection into his affected elbow and one intravenous injection. According to his mom, within two weeks he was running with her other dogs and playing fetch. Kingsley went on to receive follow-up injections of his own stem cells approximately six months and one year after his initial treatment.

After his third round of stem cell injections in August 2011, Kingsley went approximately five and a half years before requiring another stem cell treatment in early 2017. In the ten years since his initial injections, Kingsley received a total of eight follow-up stem cell treatments. According to his mom, Kingsley’s life expectancy was a mere three years due to the severity of his condition. But with the help of his veterinarian mom and his stem cells, Kingsley lived to be twelve years old.

Unfortunately, Kingsley passed away earlier this year. His mom described him as the sweetest, most gentle dog, stating, “He even went to a preschool class for a presentation about being a veterinarian and was wonderful with the children.” Dr. Mullins went on to say, “You truly saved Kingsley’s life…He lived a full life because of his stem cell injections over the years…I am an ER veterinarian, so I don’t do a lot of stem cell therapy in my department. But I’m a true believer, having had it for myself at one time, and I believe what you are doing is the future of many solutions to diseases that have confounded us. Please keep doing what you’re doing.”

It is stories like Kingsley’s that keep us doing what we are doing. When we hear about dogs like Kingsley, who were dealt a bad hand in life, but came back against all odds after having stem cell therapy, we cannot help but be immensely proud of and grateful for this technology we have developed. We hope that Kingsley is getting all the belly rubs and kisses on the other side of that rainbow bridge.