Who is Vet-Stem?
The founders of Vet-Stem have more than 20 years of experience in development and testing of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals as well as production and processing of sterile biological samples. Previous companies (HTI Bio-Services and HTI Bio-Products, among others) have grown to over $15 million in sales with more than 200 employees and have been listed among the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies in the U.S.
VET-STEM IS THE INNOVATOR IN VETERINARY
REGENERATIVE CELL MEDICINE
Vet-Stem management has experience in laboratory automation, biologic product development and licensing, FDA compliance, and veterinary practice management. The experienced Vet-Stem team is capable of providing high-quality services and products and responding to the needs of the veterinary community.
Mission Statement
Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine technology to the veterinary profession. Our goal is to be the conduit for the latest developments in human medical technology and provide easy-to-use services and products to the practicing veterinarian.
What is Vet-Stem Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine uses a concentrated form of autologous adipose-derived adult stem cells to treat traumatic and degenerative diseases, including bowed tendons, ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, and osteochondral defects in horses and dogs.
Success in human clinical trials and animal models
Despite its infancy, regenerative medicine is not new. Success in numerous animal models of disease and emerging success in human clinical trials for Crohn's fistulas and stroke, along with hundreds of ongoing clinical trials support the rationale for stem cell use, and now success, in veterinary medicine. Vet-Stem collaborative and clinical research demonstrate positive results in treating horses with tendon and ligament injuries, osteochondral defects, and osteoarthritis.
Stem cells are multipotent and can differentiate into bone, cartilage, cardiac, nerve, muscle, blood vessels, fat, and liver tissue (see figure below). The stromal fraction that is harvested from adipose tissue is a heterogeneous mixture of regenerative cells (see below).
Vet-Stem Technology: Summary
Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy is based on a clinical technology originally licensed from Artecel Inc., Sunnyvale, CA. Original patents from University of Pittsburgh and Duke University.
- Rationale based on consistent therapeutic success in numerous animal models of disease
- Adipose-derived adult stem cells (Vet-Stem Regenerative Cells: VSRC™)
- Autologous cell therapy
- Currently used in horses with bowed tendons, ligament injuries, and fractures, and in dogs with osteoarthritis
- More than 2,000 horses treated since 2003
- No systemic adverse events reported and > 0.5% local tissue reactions.
- Demonstrated efficacy with VSRC therapy in horses and dogs
- Cornell University double-blind, placebo controlled study
- Retrospective studies
- Case studies
Why use adipose-derived regenerative cells rather than regenerative cells derived from bone marrow?
Adipose-derived regenerative cells are:
- Readily available source
- Can be collected in far greater concentrations than those from bone marrow
- Able to differentiate into multiple lineages implicating their potential in bone, cartilage, and cardiac repair (See figure above)
- Fractions isolated from adipose tissue contain a heterogeneous mixture of regenerative cells, including:
- Mesenchymal stem cells
- Endothelial progenitor cells
- Pericytes
- Immune cells
- Fibroblasts
- Other growth factor-secreting bioactive cells
Differences in Regenerative Medicine compared to traditional medicine;
- Does not rely on a single target receptor or a single pathway for its action
- Regenerative cell mixture is delivered either directly to the traumatic wound (e.g.: tendonitis, desmitis, fracture) or are delivered systemically (e.g.: liver disease, renal disease)
- Regenerative cells can differentiate into many tissue types, induce repair, and stimulate regeneration
- Regenerative cells "communicate" with the cells of their local environment through paracrine and autocrine modalities, creating the optimal environment for natural healing
- Regenerative cells produce a variety of both secreted and cell surface substances that regulate tissue growth, integrity, and function
Vet-Stem provides a quick-turnaround laboratory service that enables veterinarians to utilize Vet-Stem Regenerative Cells (VSRCs) in animals. We accomplish this within 48 hours after collection of a fat sample.
Day One:
The veterinarian collects a small fat sample (about two tablespoons) from the patient. The sample is shipped priority overnight to the Vet-Stem laboratory in San Diego, California.
Day Two:
Vet-Stem processes the fat sample, concentrates the VSRCs. The cells are shipped priority overnight in ready-to-inject syringes.
Day Three:
The veterinarian injects the VSRCs directly into the injured site.
Banking
Vet-Stem Bank™ is a service that provides storage of VSRCs for future use. After the collection and processing described in the process above, part or all of the cells may be banked if cell yield allows. This service is a specially designed tissue preservation process that prepares your animal's stem cells for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen. These cells may be used for additional treatments of an existing injury, or they may be stored as "insurance" for a possible need in the future. Cryogenically frozen stem cells have been shown viable after 20 years of storage.
All cells may only be used for the donor animal and are not differentiated or engineered in any way.
Are you wondering if stem cells are right for your pet?
Click here for a letter you can bring to your veterinarian.
Interested in integrating Regenerative Veterinary Medicine into your practice?
Click here to sign up now, and become a Vet-Stem Credentialed Veterinarian.
Equine tendon, ligament, and joint injuries are some of the most frequently seen and the most debilitating in clinical veterinary practice leading to joint instability, degenerative joint disease, and reduced performance.
Traditional therapies address the inflammatory process and pain, yet have not successfully addressed the regeneration of these tissues that often result in scar tissue formation and partial or full loss of function. Whether these horses are performance athletes or companions, their owners are seeking therapy that can return them to their chosen level of activity.
With more than 3,000 horses treated and multiple studies demonstrating the success and safety of Vet-Stem regenerative medicine, Vet-Stem has the technology and the experience to help horses with fractures, joint disease, or tendon or ligament injuries return to their full level of ability.