Regenerative Therapy Options for Horses With Osteoarthritis
Biologic, or regenerative, therapies have altered the way many equine veterinarians treat problematic joints. Some of the most mainstream and popular modalities they currently use to manage osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are autologous conditioned serum, autologous protein solution, platelet-rich plasma, and mesenchymal stem cells.
Most biologic therapies involve collecting and concentrating the horse’s natural anti-inflammatory and regenerative proteins or cells so they can be injected into an area of pathology (disease or damage) in the same horse.
Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS)
Autologous conditioned serum is a cell-free extract of whole blood that has been processed to contain high concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP), a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory protein within the body. It is marketed under the trade names IRAP and IRAP II.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet rich plasma is blood plasma that’s been centrifuged or filtrated to have a higher concentration of platelets than whole blood. Many horse owners are familiar with PRP and its use in tendon and ligament injuries; however, veterinarians are using it more regularly for treating joint disease.
Autologous Protein Solution (APS)
Autologous protein solution (marketed under the trade name Pro-Stride) is essentially a hybrid of ACS and PRP. Its two-step stallside preparation process involves separating whole blood and sequestering white blood cells and platelets in a small fraction of plasma. The veterinarian then concentrates the separate blood components by filtration, leaving a solution of white blood cells, platelets, and serum proteins that provides the anti-inflammatory mediators of IRAP and the platelet-derived growth factors of PRP.
Mesenchymal Stems Cells (MSCs)
Veterinarians have used this type of stem cell as a treatment strategy for equine soft tissue injury for some time; it’s only recently that veterinarians have begun using them to treat OA, and it’s not fully clear how they work in this capacity. Researchers working on early stem cell studies hoped to establish evidence that stem cells injected into regions of injury would develop into the respective tissue. While this hypothesis proved to be incorrect, continued research has revealed that these cells might instead have anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to recruit other stem cells to the area that could, in fact, heal damaged tissue.
https://thehorse.com/189071/regenerative-therapy-options-for-horses-with-osteoarthritis/
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