Vet-Stem is a privately held company that offers veterinarians a service to provide adipose-derived stem cell

Stem cell

This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...

 regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is the "process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore orestablish normal function". This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by replacing damaged tissue and/or by stimulating the body's own repair...

 therapy for horses and dogs and cats suffering from tendon

Tendon

A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...

, ligament

Ligament

In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...

 and joint

Joint

A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...

 injuries. In 2003, it secured the worldwide exclusive license

License

The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...

 to adipose-derived stem cell technology for veterinary applications from the original patents from the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 and Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

.

Vet-Stem works directly with credentialed veterinarians. The veterinarian collects a small adipose (fat) sample from the patient. The sample is shipped priority overnight to the Vet-Stem laboratory in San Diego, Calif. Vet-Stem processes the fat sample and concentrates the regenerative cells. The cells are shipped priority overnight in ready-to-inject syringes back to the veterinarian who injects the animal's own cells directly into the injury site.

Since being founded in 2002, Vet-Stem has worked with hundreds of horse veterinarians to treat more than 3,000 horses with fat-derived stem cells. Horses treated with the regenerative cells for tendon injuries had a 77% return to prior level of performance and 94% of them were sound one year or more after treatment. The therapy has shown a 92% and 72% return to prior level of performance in horses with acute and chronic suspensory ligament injuries respectively. And in horses with joint injuries, the therapy showed a 57% return to prior level of performance.

In late 2007, Vet-Stem announced that the application of the therapy was available to dogs and since that time has worked with veterinarians to treat more than 1,250 cases. A blinded placebo controlled clinical trial report showed that 80% of dogs studied improved.

Vet-Stem is currently conducting studies for the use of the stem and regenerative cell therapy for internal conditions as well.

History

2002

Oct.: Vet-Stem founded.

2003

Oct.: Vet-Stem signs worldwide exclusive license to adipose-derived stem cell technology for veterinary applications.

2004

Jan: First stem cell treatment in a horse.

Jan.: Introduced the first veterinary stem cell service in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Oct.: Vet-Stem secures exclusive worldwide veterinary rights for equine umbilical cord

Umbilical cord

In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...

 stem cell technology from Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

.

Nov.: Vet-Stem, Inc. and Cognate Therapeutics signed an agreement for the further development of stem cell therapy for use in veterinary medicine. The initial scope of the agreement focused on current and future applications in equine therapy.

2005

July: Vet-Stem's first stem cell treatment in a dog.

2006

April: • Vet-Stem provides regenerative cell services for 1,000 animals.
• Vet-Stem's first stem cell treatment in a cat

Cat

The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...

.

Sept.: Vet-Stem secures additional exclusive worldwide veterinary rights from the University of California

University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

 for fat-derived stem cells.

Nov.: Vet-Stem grand opening of new laboratories in Poway, Calif., with expansion to over three times its prior laboratory space.

2007

May: • Vet-Stem secures exclusive worldwide rights to the Emcyte Genesis blood platelet

Platelet

Platelets, or thrombocytes , are small,irregularly shaped clear cell fragments , 2–3 µm in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes.  The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days...

 concentrating system (Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP) for providing growth factor therapy in animals.
• Vet-Stem conducts first formal small animal introductory and orthopedic credentialing course for board certified veterinary surgeons at a workshop in San Diego, CA.

June: Vet-Stem signs worldwide exclusive distribution agreement with Tissue Genesis for their “in clinic” patient-side adipose stem cell processing system. This may someday allow the Vet-Stem process to be accomplished in the veterinary clinic while a patient is being examined or in surgery.

Aug.: Company announces application of VSRC treatment as available
for canines with select veterinarians in California, Colorado Springs, Colo., Denver, and Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

.

Sept: Vet-Stem signs exclusive license to Central Veterinary Research Labs of Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, United Arab Emirates. This gives the CVRL the rights to provide fat-derived stem and regenerative cells to veterinarians throughout the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 region.

Dec.: First Peer Reviewed Double-Blinded Multicenter Study Published for Canine Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...

 using Regenerative and Stem Cells.

2008

Jan.: Small animal introductory and orthopedic online training launched on East Coast

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

 at North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

, Fla.

Feb.: Small animal introductory and orthopedic online training launched on West Coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

 at Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

.

April: Greg's Gold runs for ninth time since his stem cell treatment, beating two other Grade I winners and pushing his earnings to $1,067,923.

July: Cornell researchers publish equine stem cell paper titled "Effect of adipose-derived nucleated cell fraction on tendon repair in horses with collagenase-induced tendonitis" in The American Journal of Veterinary Research.

Sept: "Effect of Intraarticular Injection of Autologous Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem and Regenerative Cells on Clinical Signs of Chronic Osteoarthritis of the Elbow in Dogs" published in peer reviewed journal Veterinary Therapeutics.

Oct: 3,000 horses have been commercially treated by Vet-Stem clients.

Dec: After being treated with stem cells in January 2008, Little Bit of Baja comes back to set a new track record at Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos can mean:* Los Alamitos, California, a city in Orange County, California**Los Alamitos High School**Los Alamitos Army Airfield...

 after running in the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials.

2009

April: 1,500 dogs have been commercially treated by Vet-Stem credentialed veterinarians.

Process

Stem and regenerative cells are isolated from a small sample of the animal's own fat and delivered back to the veterinarian within 48 hours.

The fat collection happens by a Vet-Stem-authorized veterinarian, who collects fat and overnights the sample to the Vet-Stem laboratory in Poway, Calif. Then Vet-Stem trained technicians isolate regenerative and stem cells from the fat sample. Vet-Stem then overnights the syringes back to veterinarian, who injects the animal's own cells back into the injury site.

Uses

Vet-Stem works with credentialed veterinarians to apply the stem cell therapy to tendon injuries including acute and chronic; ligament injuries, include suspensory, check, collateral ligaments both acute and chronic; and joint injuries including osteoarthritis and osteochondral defects.

Vet-Stem also provides storage of stem and regenerative cells for future use. After the collection and processing described above, remaining doses may be banked if the sample yielded enough stem cells. This service is a preservation process that prepares the animal's stem cells for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen is nitrogen in a liquid state at a very low temperature. It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. Liquid nitrogen is a colourless clear liquid with density of 0.807 g/mL at its boiling point and a dielectric constant of 1.4...

. These cells may be used for additional treatments of an existing injury, or they may be stored for a possible need in the future.