Scientists from Melbourne are working with ViaGen, a US based company to put together a bank of equine stem cells, derived from equine embryos, that can reverse this damage. The stem cells need to be differentiated into tendon tissue, and then can be used to replace and help regenerate damaged tissue. The cells generated will be genetically identical to the horse's own cells, so there is absolutely no rick of rejection.
Current treatment for very competitive horses involves taking cells from an injured horse's bone marrow, sending them to a lab to be grown into the correct tissue cells, and then implanting them into the leg. This process usually takes at least three weeks, but the new stem cell method will speed up the process a great deal and make it much less invasive.
Most horses when suffering an injury like this will have to be put on stall rest, with no turn out for extended periods of time, and be very slowly brought back into work. Although the stem cell method will most likely only be used for very competitive horses with big name owners due to its costs it is a great advancement for such a common and time consuming injury. Accidents that would once be career ending will be reduced to minor bumps in the road.
Posted by Emily Nobrega
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteThis is so fascinating. Now that this method has been successful with horses, imagine what could be done with humans, especially athletes that are in track or older humans with bad leg problems.
Posted by Whitney Huynh
Despite the controversy with embryonic stem cells, this article provides further evidence of the usefulness of stem cells. It is great that scientists have figured out how to use these stem cells to treat horse injuries. Stem cells have the potential to do so much in so little time. I hope that scientists are able to apply this technology to humans someday.
ReplyDeletePosted by James Lin
This research gives great insight to what the future of medicine holds! I wonder if this kind of stem cell therapy has been tested on other animals as well, and could be used in household pets such as cats or dogs.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if this cure has only been used in horse tendons alone. Could it possibly be used for ligaments as well, or all muscles types in general? It would be interesting to see how far this research could advance in the medial field.
Posted by Sara Corey
I know that in the old days if a racing horse tore its tendon, it was often times shot. To say the least implanting stem cells that can regrow a torn tendon or repair a severe leg injury is a better alternative. I wonder though, has there been any problems with injecting these stem cells into the horse. Is the newly grown tendon as good as the one the horse was born with? I wonder if this method of stem cell injection will ever be seen in humans with serious injuries such as ACL tears.
ReplyDeletePosted by Nick Gast
This is a very interesting technique, which probably can only be found for high performance animals. I wonder what the difference is in recovery time. I know they grow cells for sever burn victims in order to do skin grafts, but never for tendon use. I also wonder what the limitations are to this technique. I know when I had ACL surgery they took a muscle graft. I just wonder if it could be used to speed up recovery from knee surgery where there are many ligaments involved.
ReplyDeletePosted by Caroline Adams
I agree that this kind of stem cell research could be very helpful in many different species in many different ways. I believe that in the distant future these methods will be used in humans as well. I believe that this would work for not only tendons, but other tissue types as well.
ReplyDeleteIf they attach properly, I believe the new tendons work just as good as the ones they replace.
The recovery time is a lot shorter because the procedure is much less invasive the the techniques currently being used.
Posted by Emily Nobrega