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Autologous bone marrow stromal cell transplantation in German Shepherd degenerative myelopathy
Author(s) -
Clemmons Roger M.,
Kamishina Hiroaki,
Oji Takashi,
Cheeseman Jennifer A.,
Demuth Gerald J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a1106-b
Subject(s) - medicine , transplantation , surgery , bone marrow , myelopathy , spinal cord , pathology , psychiatry
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive demyelinating disease most commonly affecting the thoracolumbar spinal cord of the German shepherd dog (GSD), leading to paralysis of hind limbs. There is currently no effective treatment that can improve the motor function of the affected dogs. We have initiated a clinical trial on autologous bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation in DM to assess the procedural safety and clinical efficacy. Bone marrow was aspirated from iliac crests of 3 GSDs, 1 GSD mix, and 1 Boxer. BMSCs were isolated by Ficoll density gradient followed by plastic adhesion and expanded. Five million BMSCs in the first passage were intrathecally injected in each dog. There were no major complications associated with the transplantation procedure. After transplantation, most of the owners reported their dogs being more mobile. At 1‐month post‐transplantation, improvements on electromyographic measures were noticed. These included improved spinal cord evoked potentials and the increased suppression of M‐waves recorded from interosseous muscles of the hind limbs upon high frequency stimuli of the sciatic nerve. A second transplantation was given approximately 2 months after the first transplantation in 3 dogs that showed a clinical decline, no major complications were noted. These dogs again showed alleviation of clinical symptoms. Autologous BMSC transplantation was a safe procedure but its effects seemed to be transient in treating DM under conditions of the study. This study was supported by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America and the Amerman Family Foundation.