Intra-Articular Injections with Allogeneic Dental Pulp Stem Cells for Chronic Osteoarthritis

Abstract

                Stem cell therapies are rapidly gaining attention as a promising tool for tissue regeneration. A variety of stem cell types have been studied as potential candidates to restore the structure and function of damaged organs or tissues. Recent studies have demonstrated the use of stem cells isolated from dental pulp in dentistry and tissue engineering. In our previous studies we have shown the applications of puppy deciduous teeth stem cells (pDSCs) to restore infarcted myocardium and ulceration of the cornea. For this study, our aim was to provide a novel therapeutic application of allogeneic pDSCs in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the coxofemoral joints. The method to isolate mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental pulp of dogs and the use of allogeneic puppy deciduous teeth stem cells in osteosrthritis problems were evaluated. Clinical effects of multiple intra-articular injections of pDSCs were investigated on 8 dogs with lameness associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Clinical assessments were collected by interviews and questionnaires. Immediate improvements in clinical scoring in all dogs were seen in 14 days after pDSC injection with no complications. The findings indicated that pDSC treatment considerably helped reduce pain and lameness, improve the quality of life activities and prevent osteoarthritis progression. Multiple Intra-articular injections of pDSCs might be a novel strategy for the treatment of OA in dogs.