Vet Blog

11/22/08

Canine Lymphoma Treatment Takes Big Step Forward
Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM

lymphocyte_gl.jpgLymphoma is a blood cancer of dogs and cats (and people). It is one of the most common cancers in pets. It is aggressive and incurable.

I was therefore very pleased to read the following small feature in the October, 2008 NAVC Clinician’s Brief.

Bone Marrow Transplants at NCSU
North Carolina State University is the first university in the nation to perform peripheral blood stem cell transplantation–the same type of treatment available to humans–on dogs with lymphoma. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota donated 3 leukophoresis (white blood cell separating) machines to NCSU that are suitable for canine use without modification, since therapy protocols were originally developed using dogs.

This clinical advance in canine lymphoma treatment is far from the simple cure that all vets and animal lovers dream of. But it certainly is a step in the right direction.

See related Vet Blog entries:
Categorized Insider Veterinary News.Tagged cancer, dogs, lymphoma, stemcells.
08/13/08

Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise as an Arthritis Treatment in Dogs
Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM

800px-117_17961_180606.JPGStem cells have been in the news a great deal. They are a source of much excitement in the medical community.

Stem cells are special because they have the potential to turn into many different types of tissue. In the future, stem cells may help to treat a number of human and animal diseases.

A recent study has shown that routine therapeutic use of stem cells may not be far off for dogs afflicted with a common and debilitating problem: arthritis of the hips.

Researchers in the study collected stem cells from fat tissue of dogs with arthritis. The stem cells were then injected into the donors’ hip joints. Dogs that underwent this therapy showed a significant improvement in clinical signs. A quote from the study is below.

Dogs treated with adipose-derived stem cell therapy had significantly improved scores for lameness and the compiled scores for lameness, pain, and range of motion compared with control dogs. This is the first randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial reporting on the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in dogs.

Arthritis of the hips causes a great deal of suffering in older dogs. It is sometimes a cause of euthanasia. I, for one, am very happy about the development of a new treatment for the syndrome.

However, one aspect of the study has tempered my enthusiasm slightly. Another quote is below.

*This study was sponsored by Vet-Stem, Inc., Poway, California.

Vet-Stem, Incorporated markets stem cell therapies to veterinarians. The study appears to have been well-run. But I am always suspicious of research that is funded by organizations with conflicts of interest.

See related Vet Blog entries:
Categorized Animal Health Updates.Tagged arthritis, dogs, stemcells.