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Stem Cell Therapy for Cats

Stem cell therapy can aid cats with various conditions.

Stem cell therapy is an area that is being researched both for human medical applications and for feline ones.

What Are Stem Cells?

Cells in the body that are capable of becoming different specialized cell types are called stem cells. They are found in developing embryos and adults carry them in certain areas of their bodies, too, such as the bone marrow and liver.

In animals, stem cells from the fat are used.

Stem cells can be isolated by scientists, have their differentiation halted, and then be multiplied in a petri dish, allowing more of them to be available for testing or treatment.

How Can Stem Cells Treat Disease?

Stem cells, once instructed to develop into a certain type of cell, can be used to regenerate damaged tissue. Their use is being researched for a multitude of applications in human medicine, including help for Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and blood diseases.

Are Stem Cell Therapies Helping Cats?

Researchers have had success with using stem cells to treat some feline conditions.

Stem cell therapy is an area with huge potential to treat many animal and human conditions in the future, and that future may arrive sooner than later with proper research.


Works Cited

  1. Tracy Webb, C. W. (2014, Dec. 5). Stem cell therapy in cats with chronic enteropathy: a proof-of-concept study. Retrieved from sagepub.com.
  2. UC Davis Veterinary Team Has Success with New Stem Cell Therapy. (2013, Nov.). UC Davis Veterinary Team Has Success with New Stem Cell Therapy. Retrieved from UCDavis.edu.
  3. Veterinarians pursue stem-cell therapy for cats with severe kidney disease. (2014, Dec.). Retrieved from colostate.edu.

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