Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stem cell eye drops improve dry eye in dogs with keratoconjunctivitis
By Wei, Li-Ning et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2022·Institute of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Topical applications of allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate the canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with dry eye (canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca) received eye drops made from stem cells derived from fat tissue to see if it would help their condition. Over six weeks, the dogs were treated once a week, and many showed significant improvement in tear production and eye comfort, especially those who hadn’t responded to previous treatments. More than half of the dogs that didn’t improve with standard medications had better tear volume after the stem cell treatment. This new approach could be a good option for dogs that struggle with daily eye drop treatments or don’t respond to other therapies.
People also search for: dog dry eye treatment · canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca stem cell therapy · dog eye drops for dry eyes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) is predominantly an immune-mediated disease. Current therapy of canine KCS is mainly by immunosuppressant, but the effectiveness was limited in some patients. In the past few years, some studies showed the results of the use of mesenchymal stem cells in treating canine KCS via periocular injections. However, the periocular injection procedure requires sedation or general anesthesia, and may lead to iatrogenic or incidental injury during the injection process. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of topical allogenic canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cAD-MSCs) in clinical patients of canine KCS. RESULTS: The cAD-MSCs used in this study were characterized for their capability of tri-lineage differentiation and immunomodulatory properties. In addition, preparation methods for eye drops of cAD-MSCs was developed and its optimal preservation was tested. The canine KCS patients were recruited for clinical trial and divided into two groups based on their history of previous treatment. All patients received topical cAD-MSCs treatment once per week for 6 consecutive weeks and complete ophthalmic examinations were performed 1 week before treatment (week 0) and at 3rd, 6th, 9th weeks, respectively. The results showed that the quantity and quality of tears have improved significantly following topical cAD-MSCs treatment based on Schirmers tear test-1 and tear break-up time. More than half of all patients were found improved in the tear quantity. In particular, 56.5% of the patients that were unresponsive to prior immunosuppressant therapy had an effective increase in tear volume. The severity of clinical signs was also ameliorated according to the numeric rating scale score from both patient owners and the clinician. CONCLUSION: To sum up, topical cAD-MSCs may be beneficial especially in KCS patients with poor owner compliance for frequent daily use of eye drops or those who are unresponsive to immunosuppressant therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35689226/