Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stem cell treatment safety and effects for cat eye disease
By Villatoro, Antonio J et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2018·ImmuneStem, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Safety and efficacy of the mesenchymal stem cell in feline eosinophilic keratitis treatment.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Five cats with a chronic eye condition called feline eosinophilic keratitis (FEK) were treated with special stem cells taken from fat tissue. These cats had not responded to other treatments, but after receiving two injections of the stem cells, their eye lesions improved significantly over the following months. The cats showed no side effects from the treatment, and their symptoms did not return during the study period. This approach appears to be a safe and effective option for managing FEK in cats.
People also search for: cat eye problems treatment · feline eosinophilic keratitis symptoms · stem cell therapy for cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Feline eosinophilic keratitis (FEK) is a chronic keratopathy caused by a suspected immune mediated response to an unknown antigenic stimulus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and therapeutic effects of allogeneic feline adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (fAd-MSCs) implanted subconjunctival around the ocular surface lesion in five cats with FEK refractory to current available treatments. RESULTS: FEK was diagnosed by clinical appearance and evidence of eosinophil and/or mast cells in corneal cytology. Each animal was treated with two applications of 2 × 10million of fAd-MSCs 2 months apart. Ocular surface integrity was assessed before treatment and at 1, 3, 6 and 11 months after treatment. Clinical signs showed a significant change during the follow-up with resolution of the corneal and conjunctiva lesions and there were no signs of regression or worsening. CONCLUSIONS: Implanted cells were well-tolerated and effective reducing clinical signs of FEK with a sustained effect during the study period. None of the animals showed systemic or local complications during the study. To our knowledge, this is the first time in literature that local implantation of allogeneic fAd-MSCs has been found as an effective therapeutic alternative to treat cats with FEK.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29587744/