Focused on providing the latest in stem cell therapies for horses, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on May 18 opened its new Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

The new laboratory provides a state-of-the art facility for processing, culturing and storing stem cells for use in horses. It is one of only four such university-based veterinary stem cell labs in the nation, providing services to clients and referring veterinarians.

‘New era’ in medicine

Bennie Osburn, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, said, “Stem cell science is leading us into a new era in human and veterinary medicine.”

In recent years, scientists have made significant advances in using stem cells to treat horses suffering from diseases including colic and neuromuscular degeneration, as well as burns and other injuries. Horses have been one of the first species to benefit from veterinary stem cell therapy because they are prone to injuries that can be successfully treated with such therapy.

“The marvelous thing about stem cell therapy is that it holds the promise of a cure,” said Sean Owens, a veterinary professor and director of the new Regenerative Medicine Laboratory. “We can use pharmacological medicine to alleviate the pain associated with orthopedic injuries in horses, but only with biological medicine such as stem cell therapy can we actually repair the damage that has already been done.”

Other animal species

The laboratory is expected to yield new knowledge that also will benefit other animal species.

The new laboratory, located on the first floor of the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, will support the clinical arm of the veterinary stem cell program. Lab personnel will process, culture and store stem cells that have been collected from the hospital’s equine patients to treat injuries.