A number of studies have been done on stem cells which have the property of recognizing sites of injury in a horse's body and helping heal the injury. However when injected, stem cells do not survive very long in the body because these cells are out of their source environment..
EPM treatment with stem cell fluid
Treating horses with injuries by injection of stem cell fluid is superior to treating them with intact stem cell injections because the factors from the stem cell fluid persist in the horse's body for a longer time.
Using a system resulting from 10 years of research by a major Chicago hospital research team and three years of trials, researchers have discovered healing factors that lead to better and faster recoveries including horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. VivaStem, is a patent pending drug in the USA and Europe, with FDA approval process underway.
VivaStem has a proprietary technique of collecting and concentrating these secreted factors in the body of animals. The harvested stem cell fluid is then purified and packaged for use as an injection. This manner of treating animals with injuries by injection of stem cell fluid is superior to treating animals with intact stem cell injections because unlike live cells which die very soon after injection the factors from the stem cell fluid persist in the body for a longer time.
The VivaStem therapy, because it does not require live cells and surgeries, is much less expensive than live cell-based therapies. Vivastem conducted a veterinarian-supervised study on post EPM drug treated horses with moderate to severe ataxia. To qualify for the study, the horses had to have been previously diagnosed by a veterinarian and treated with a commercial drug for EPM.
The horses had to have ataxia that was detectable by a neurological exam, conducted by a veterinarian. Horses were aged 3 to 25 years, and breeds included Paint, Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred and Warmblood, both mares and geldings. Fifty percent of the horses had residual ataxia for 1 to 9 years; the remaining had stagnated for 30 days or developed worsening ataxia 30 to 90 days post EPM drug treatment.
All horses were injected subcutaneously (under the skin) with one dose of 10 cc of stem cell fluid (Vivastem®) at the start of the study. Stem cell fluid is NOT the same as âstem cells,â as stem cell fluid is truly unique.
The horses used in the study gradually improved in their ataxic symptoms and strength during the 90-day trial. The greatest neurological improvement occurred during the first 45 days with the horses becoming aware of where their legs were, moving them in a more normal manner while circling, backing, lunging, and when placed across the opposing leg.
The awareness of their top line and the gaining of strength varied, with the younger horses recovering more quickly than the older horses. During the last 45 days, the horses gradually gained strength and continued improvement in neurological awareness until they were normal.
Learn more about Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis