UC Davis opens horse stem cell lab - Sacramento Business Journal:

omagyvoham.wordpress.com
The Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at theWilliajm R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital allowwfor processing, culturing and storing stem cella for horses.The stem-cell lab is one of only four and is available to clients and referrinv veterinarians. “We are excited to be able to offerd this new clinical servicre to our clients for their horses as a complemeny toour stem-cell research program,” veterinary medicinew school dean Bennie Osburn “Stem cell science is leading us into a new era in humanj and veterinary medicine.
” Regeneratives medicine involves creating living, functional tissues to repaif or replace tissues or organs that have been damageed by injury, disease or birth defects. Stem cells can be collected and become specificcell types, such as muscle, bloo and nerves. “The stem cell, with its ability to recreate, repait or revitalize damaged organsaor tissues, is rapidly changing all of said Gregory Ferraro, a veterinary professor and director of UC Center for Equine Health.
“The application of stem cell science to treating horses is advancing so quickly that with threee tofive years, the treatments that are currently beinfg provided for orthopedic repaifr in athletic horses will seem crude in hindsight.” The UC Davi lab will collect stem cells from the horse’ws own blood or bone marrow, and not embryoniv stem cells — a controversiakl issue for human and veterinary medicine. Horses have benefitedc from stem-cell therapy in recent years, especially from diseasees such as colic andneuromuscular degeneration, burns and otherr injuries.
“The marvelous thing about stem-cell therapt is that it holds the promise of a saidSean Owens, a veterinaru professor and director of the Regenerative Medicinr Laboratory. “We can use pharmacological medicine to alleviate the pain associated with orthopedic injuriesin horses, but only with biologicalp medicine such as stem-cell therapy can we actuall y repair the damage that has already been done.” The lab, locates on the first floor of the UC Davias William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teachinyg Hospital, will support the clinical area of the veterinary stemcell program.
Private veterinarians can harvest stem cellw from the lab for their patientw and return the cells for processing or Some of the horsesundergoing stem-cell therapyy treatment could be referred to the teachin g hospital. Stem cell processing and treatment costs will The fee for processing and expansionj of a bone marrow sample will beabougt $1,800. Stem cell injectiona for most patients will costabout $1,500.