The biosafety of innovative procedures that utilize stem cells in regenerative medicine has been addressed in several studies. Previous work has showed no tumour formation following the use of feline and human amniotic membrane-derived stem cells (AMSCs). In contrast, tumour formation was observed when canine AMSCs were utilized. These findings suggested that feline and human, but not canine, AMSCs are suitable for cell transplantation trials. This study aimed to further evaluate the feasibility of utilizing canine AMSCs for transplantation purposes as well as for felines. We

ContentsChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common clinical condition in domestic cats, characterized by tubulointerstitial, vascular and glomerular inflammation and severe fibrosis.

ABSTRACT. Distemper disease is an infectious disease reported in several species of domestic and wild carnivores. The high mortality rate of animals infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) treated with currently available therapies has driven the study of new efficacious treatments. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy is a promising therapeutic option for many degenerative, hereditary, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize stem cells derived from the canine fetal olfactory epithelium and to assess the systemic response of animals infected with CDV to symptomatic therapy and treatment with MSCs. Eight domestic mongrel dogs (N = 8) were divided into two groups: support group (SG) (N = 5) and support group + cell therapy (SGCT) (N = 3), which were monitored over 15 days. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 6, 9, 12, and 15 to assess blood count and serum biochemistry (urea, creatinine, alanine transferase, alkaline phosphatase, gammaglutamyl transferase, total protein, albumin, and globulin), and urine samples were obtained on days 0 and 15 for urinary evaluation (urine I). The results showed a high mortality rate (SG = 4 and SGCT = 2), providing inadequate data on the clinical course of CDV infection. MSC therapy resulted in no significant improvement when administered during the acute phase of canine distemper disease, and a prevalence of animals with high mortality rate was found in both groups due to the severity of symptoms.

Cell therapy represents an old therapeutic practice initiated with the transfusion of whole blood in different clinical situations. There is now a breakthrough in the study of multipotent stem cell therapy because of its functionality in regeneration of tissues, which promotes attention of the scientific community. Bone marrow is one of the main sources of multipotent stem cells, composed by hematopoietic stem cells responsible for the renewal of the cellular components of the blood, and mesenchymal stem cells that aid in the regeneration of tissues. These cells have a strong potential for the treatment of several diseases, due their main characteristics such as high plasticity, capacity for self-renewal and immunomodulation. Although, there are many studies that show good results with the use of cell therapy as a form of treatment for several diseases, some studies still show inconclusive or unsatisfactory results. Therefore, the objective of this study was to review the application of bone marrow stem cells in the canine model since improvements on the knowledge of the technique are necessary to enable its applicability with safety and efficacy.

Resumo: O crescente interesse do uso de células-tronco (CTs) na medicina regenerativa, estão baseadas na sua capacidade de autorrenovação, reparação tecidual e imunomodulação. A terapia utilizando células-tronco é uma ciência em formação considerada uma alternativa terapêutica promissora no tratamento de diversas patologias degenerativas, hereditárias e inflamatórias. A busca por fontes alternativas de CTs que possuam características como fácil obtenção e isolamento, tem levado ao estudo dos mais variados tecidos, onde se inclui os anexos embrionários como a membrana amniótica. Porém, para sua efetiva aplicação terapêutica são necessários estudos de suas características "in vitro", além de testes pré-clínicos e clínicos. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma revisão bibliográfica sobre a caracterização e aplicação clínica das células-tronco da membrana amniótica em diversas espécies de animais domésticos.