Treating Canine Paralysis with Stem Cells

Most dogs who suffer from a severe spinal fracture that causes paralysis of the hind legs and loss of sensation will remain permanently paralyzed and unable to urinate. Numerous studies have shown that transplantation of a variety of cell types into an injured spinal cord is safe and can produce improvement. However, for the therapy to be clinically practical, transplantation of cells derived from the patient (autologous cells) is ideal, and combining different therapies is needed to improve the host regenerative response and survival, and integration of transplanted cells. With the recent explosion of stem cell therapy research, poorly controlled studies have resulted in contradictory results, making it unclear whether transplantation is effective. Investigators will compare the effect of three different therapies in chronically paraplegic dogs. This blinded clinical trial will rigorously compare a novel cellular transplantation therapy with different control groups. A positive result will provide a clinically applicable stem cell therapy for chronic canine paralysis.

D10CA-040
Dr. Natasha J. Olby, North Carolina State University

Co-sponsors: Pfizer Animal Health; American Spaniel Club Foundation; Anonymous, for Picasa, recovered from paralysis; Ms. Ann Campbell