As most of you know, VetStem spun out a human stem cell company several years ago called Personalized Stem Cells. We like to provide occasional updates for those who may be interested, and it has been a few months since our last update. Since then, there have been some exciting developments regarding clinical trials.

Knee Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Update

The first FDA investigational new drug approval to research stem cell use secured by Personalized Stem Cells (PSC) was for single knee osteoarthritis. The clinical trial was launched shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, PSC was able to safely and successfully complete clinical trial enrollment and treatments by the end of 2020. 39 patients were enrolled in the clinical trial.

Since our last update, Personalized Stem Cells hit another milestone. In January, they announced that all data for the clinical trial was collected and preparations for FDA submission were taking place. And in March, PSC officially announced that all clinical trial data was submitted to the FDA. The preliminary results look very promising. PSC reported that over 79% of patients improved and there were no serious adverse events reported. With the first clinical trial under their belts, PSC plans to launch a larger, placebo-controlled trial later this year.

COVID-19 Clinical Trial Update

Since our latest PSC update blog in March, a lot has happened with the COVID-19 stem cell clinical trial. For reference, PSC developed the investigational new drug and secured FDA approval for the clinical trial shortly after the pandemic began. They went on to license the clinical trial to Sorrento Therapeutics in October 2020.

The most recent news came earlier this month when PSC announced that enrollment was complete for the COVID-19 clinical trial. The results look very promising. Ten patients received allogeneic stem cell therapy for treatment of COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress. All ten patients were hospitalized prior to treatment and required oxygenation supplementation. And all ten patients were discharged from the hospital shortly after their final stem cell injection. Data from this clinical trial will be used to support a placebo-controlled study which is expected to take place in multiple sites in the United States as well as in Brazil.

Planned Future Clinical Trials

In addition to the phase 2 knee osteoarthritis study, PSC plans to pursue FDA approval for a traumatic brain injury (concussion) study. Stem cell therapy may provide answers and tools to address the chronic debilitation experienced by TBI victims. Recent studies by others have found that stem cells have demonstrated the ability to regenerate damaged nerve tissues which may lead to an improvement in disabilities and thereby the quality of life.

To keep up with Personalized Stem Cells, follow their blog and Facebook page.

May is Pet Cancer Awareness Month and though we cannot give you advice regarding treating your pet’s cancer, we do have some information about using VetStem Cell Therapy in pets with cancer.

VetStem Cell Therapy and Cancer – What You Need to Know

First and foremost, we want to make it known that VetStem cells cannot be used to treat or cure your pet’s cancer. Generally speaking, we do not recommend that pets who have active or recent cancer receive stem cell therapy. VetStem takes a conservative approach when it comes to patients with cancer because there is still a lot that we do not know about stem cells and how they interact with cancer cells. Thus, we err on the side of safety.

As a precaution, we monitored the occurrence of cancer in patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy and have not seen a higher incidence than what is reported in patients of the same age group that were not treated with stem cells. The literature supports that adult stem cells do not directly turn into cancer cells. There is also literature regarding stem cell therapy in women who have had mastectomies which shows no higher incidence of recurrence of cancer.

Pets with an Orthopedic Condition in Addition to Cancer

There are some patients who have an orthopedic condition in addition to active or recent cancer, that may benefit from stem cell therapy for their orthopedic condition. For these cases, it is important for your veterinarian to consult with one of our veterinarians. Then you and your veterinarian can determine the best course of action for your pet. For some pets, VetStem Cell Therapy may improve their quality of life enough to outweigh the potential risks. If the decision is reached to pursue stem cell therapy, VetStem requires a special waiver to be signed by the pet owner. Some things you and your veterinarian should consider when making this decision are age of your pet, severity of the cancer, other medical conditions, and your pet’s current quality of life.

As most of you know by now, there are multiple conditions for which VetStem Cell Therapy may be a beneficial treatment option. We frequently recommend that pet owners considering stem cell therapy speak to their veterinarian to determine if their pet may be a candidate for VetStem Cell Therapy. But what if your veterinarian is not familiar with VetStem or stem cell therapy?

Considering VetStem Cell Therapy for Your Pet?

You may have seen the many success stories about actual VetStem Cell Therapy recipients and wondered, “Would my pet benefit from stem cell therapy?” Or you may find that you have exhausted multiple treatment options, yet your pet’s condition hasn’t improved as much as you hoped. Whatever your situation may be, it is always important to research all of your options before you decide which therapy to proceed with. If you are considering VetStem Cell Therapy for your pet, we can help you speak to your veterinarian to get a better idea of whether or not this might be a good option to try.

Is VetStem Cell Therapy Right for Your Pet?

We firmly believe that your veterinarian is your best resource when it comes to the health of your pet. He/She is the most familiar with your pet’s health history and has likely examined your pet multiple times, whether for routine exams or sick exams. That being said, your veterinarian may not be familiar with VetStem Cell Therapy or any stem cell therapy for that matter. If you find that that is the case, below are some resources that you can share with your vet.

1. This letter is a great place to start. VetStem’s free, online educational course helps veterinarians better understand the science behind stem cell therapy and educates them on how the VetStem process works.
2. If your veterinarian would like additional information, you can refer them to the literature references on our website. We also have information about Inflammatory Bowel Disease, feline kidney disease, and immune mediated diseases (such as IMHA). For horses, we have multiple case studies on our website.
3. To help determine if your pet is a good candidate for VetStem Cell Therapy, this checklist may be useful.
4. And lastly, our staff veterinarians are available to consult with your vet to determine if VetStem Cell Therapy may help your pet, including a stem cell protocol tailored to your pet’s specific condition. Simply ask your vet to contact us at their convenience. There is no charge for this service!

We always like to remind pet owners that stem cell therapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment, thus some pets may not be a good candidate for VetStem Cell Therapy. Our goal is to provide as much education and information as possible so you and your vet, with our help, can make the best decision for your pet. As always, if you ever have any questions for us, feel free to reach out! And if you are in need of a VetStem provider in your area, click here and we will send you a list of vets near you.

We have discussed VetStem Cell Therapy for feline kidney disease many times on this blog. For a refresher and success stories, click here. But cats are not the only creatures to suffer from this potentially devastating disease. According to the International Renal Interest Society, “The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been estimated to be 0.5-1.0% in dogs.” While this may seem like a small number, that small percent of dogs may still suffer with a diagnosis like kidney disease.

Unfortunately, like with cats, treatment options for dogs with chronic kidney disease remain limited and can be costly or time consuming. Fortunately, VetStem Cell Therapy has shown some promise in the treatment of canine kidney disease. This is Abby’s story.

Abby is a basset hound mix who was diagnosed with renal disease when she was just one year old. According to her owner, she was very lethargic and would not eat or drink. With minimal treatment options, Abby’s owner elected to pursue treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Abby had her fat collected and received her first stem cell treatment in August 2014. Due to the nature and severity of Abby’s condition, she went on to receive three more stem cell infusions in the four months following her initial treatment. Since then, Abby has continued to receive an intravenous injection of her own stem cells twice yearly and had her most recent treatment just three weeks ago.

According to Abby’s recent bloodwork, her kidney values are in the normal range. Her owner stated, “Six years later and she is doing great. She is a normal, happy healthy dog. I have her injected with her stem cells every six months and monitor her kidney levels through bloodwork twice a year.”

Of course, it is very heartwarming to hear a story like Abby’s. But each patient is different and stem cell therapy may not be an effective treatment option for all patients with kidney disease. If your pet has kidney disease, it is best to speak with your veterinarian to determine if stem cell therapy may be a good option for your pet. Or you can contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers in your area.