Stem Cells and Race Tracks

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People might wonder about the correlation between horse races and stem cells. Actually, stem cell technology has recently been used to repair both ligament and tendon damage in race horses. The potential of using such treatment to repair similar injuries in humans is the focal point of many studies between the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island and VetCell Bioscience Ltd. in England.

Dr. Laurie McDuffee, an associate professor in large animal surgery is hoping that variations on this veterinary technology can be used to heal bone fractures, both in animals and humans in the future. "The implications for people from anything we do with animals are that we collect more data on certain technologies, and that can be translated, to a certain extent, to humans."

Since the therapy is showing hope in treating animal injuries, technology is also exploring the potential for use in humans. Tendon, ligament and bone injuries are common orthopedic researchers around the world. Tendon and ligament repair procedures are performed on an estimated half a million people on a yearly basis. Bone marrow samples of stem cells that are used to develop into new tendon, ligament and bone tissues show great promise for orthopedic surgical procedures, both in the human and animal kingdoms.

"Any of the data we collect on how this treatment works with horses with similar types of tendon lesions could be useful in the use of such therapy and humans, says Dr. McDuffee.

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