The effects of equine peripheral blood stem cells on cutaneous wound healing: a clinical evaluation in four horses

• Published in: Clinical and experimental dermatology Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 280 - 284
• Main Authors: Spaas, J. H., Broeckx, S., Van de Walle, G. R., Polettini, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2013; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Animals; Clinical Dermatology; Female; Horses - injuries; Leg Injuries - therapy; Leg Injuries - veterinary; Male; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation - veterinary; Skin - injuries; Wound Healing - physiology
• ISSN: 0307-6938; 1365-2230
• DOI: 10.1111/ced.12068

Summary
Stem‐cell therapy represents a promising strategy for the treatment of challenging pathologies, such as large, infected wounds that are unresponsive to conventional therapies. The present study describes the clinical application of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) for the treatment of four adult Warmblood horses with naturally occurring wounds, which were unresponsive to conventional therapies for at least 3 months. A visual assessment was performed, and a number of wound‐healing parameters (granulation tissue, crust formation and scar formation) were evaluated. In all cases, tissue overgrowth was visible within 4 weeks after PBSC injection, followed by the formation of crusts and small scars in the centre of the wound, with hair regeneration at the edges. In conclusion, this is the first report of PBSC therapy of skin wounds in horses, and it produced a positive visual and clinical outcome.