Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stem cell eye treatment tested for German shepherd dogs
By Pereira, Alexandre Luiz et al.·Published in Open veterinary journal·2022·Department of Ophthalmology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Subconjunctival use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells to treat chronic superficial keratitis in German shepherd dogs: Pilot study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old German Shepherd with chronic superficial keratitis (CSK), a condition causing cloudiness in the eye and affecting vision, was treated with either a common eye drop medication or a new stem cell therapy. The stem cells were injected into the eye to see if they could help reduce the symptoms. After 110 days, both treatments showed some improvement, with most dogs experiencing less inflammation and opacity in their eyes. However, the stem cell treatment was less effective than the traditional medication. No side effects were reported from either treatment.
People also search for: German Shepherd eye problems · chronic superficial keratitis treatment · stem cell therapy for dogs' eyes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic superficial keratitis (CSK) is an ocular condition in dogs characterized by corneal opacification leading to visual function impairment. Control of this chronic condition requires the use of topical immunomodulators or corticosteroids daily. Regenerative medicine has shown promising results in several fields of medicine. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effect of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of adipose tissue applied via subconjunctival in dogs with CSK. METHODS: A series of cases of eight dogs diagnosed with CSK were divided into two groups, four dogs each; the conventional treatment group received prednisolone 1% as topical eye drops and the experimental group (EG) received allogeneic MSCs transplantation. The dogs had not previously been treated for CSK. Systemic and ophthalmologic examinations were performed to exclude other abnormalities. An administered amount of MSC (1 × 10cells each time) was injected via subconjunctival in the peri-limbal region at 0 and 30 days. The animals were followed for 110 days for clinical evaluation, and, at the same time, the images of the corneal abnormalities were obtained and analyzed in the ImageJ software. The statistical analysis was performed in the GrandPrism 7.0 software. RESULTS: Initial and final images revealed that areas with neovascularization, inflammatory infiltrate, and opacity regressed in most eyes in both groups (7/8 eyes in each group) at the end of the 110 days,= 0.0391 and= 0.0078 respectively, but this response was minor in the EG comparing to conventional group (CG) (= 0.026). No local or systemic side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small melioration, MSCs treatment suggests clinical improvement in patients with CSK after 110 days without any local or systemic side effects. However, the improvement achieved was significantly less than the observed within CG. Further studies still are needed to evaluate the use and benefits of stem cells as an adjunct treatment for CSK.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36589393/