Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stem cells and electroacupuncture for chronic spinal injury in dogs
By Prado, César et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2019·School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Combination of stem cells from deciduous teeth and electroacupuncture for therapy in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury: A pilot study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs aged 5 to 11 years with chronic spinal cord injuries received treatment combining stem cells from their baby teeth and electroacupuncture to see if it could help their recovery. After 7 months, all dogs showed some mild improvements in their movement and function, and there were no serious side effects or deaths reported. While the treatment appeared safe and potentially helpful, the researchers emphasized the need for ongoing monitoring to check for any delayed effects and to see if further improvements occur.
People also search for: dog spinal cord injury treatment · electroacupuncture for dogs · stem cell therapy for dogs with paralysis
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition that causes profound economic and emotional impact in human patients and companion animal owners. It has been shown that the neurogenic effects of the stem cells are enhanced when combined with electroacupuncture (EA) in rodent models of SCI. To determine the safety and feasibility of combining transplantation of allogenic stem cells derived from canine exfoliated deciduous teeth (SCED) and EA in dogs with chronic spinal cord injury a canine pilot clinical study was conducted. A total of 16 individuals ranging from 5 to 11 years at 3 to 18 months of injury were investigated and randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups (SCED, EA, SCED + EA, control). Mild neurological and functional improvements were seen in all 4 groups. There was no clinical progression or mortality of the cases occurred in a follow up of 7 months after procedure. The study shows that SCED transplantation and electroacupuncture were feasible, safe and potentially beneficial. However Long-term patient monitoring is necessary to rule out any delayed side effects and assess any further improvements.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30703615/