Stem cell treatment on horses is associated with an increased likelihood of returning to racing
Published: 9 September 2023
New research has revealed that the use of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on racehorses is associated with improved likelihood of returning to racing, when compared to racehorses managed with a controlled exercise rehabilitation program alone.
Due to the intensity of horse racing, it is common for racehorses to overstrain their uperficial digital flexor tendon (a tendon in the lower part of the limb), which would often lead to early retirement.
This paper is the first study to have compared a recovery programme for the horses of controlled exercise, with two treatments based on stem cells. This entailed one group of horses that only did the controlled exercise rehabilitation programme (CERP), and another group of horses that did the CERP and also had one of these other treatments.
The study found that for one of the stem cell treatments (intralesional bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell treatment) , the horses were more likely to return to racing. Not only this, the horses were also more likely to start in 5 or more races after returning, showing evidence of the recovery having an extended impact compared to horses just doing the CERP alone.
This new treatment could be very beneficial for helping horses recover from the injury. Since this is quite a common injury among racehorses, this is potentially a really important result for treating many horses, if the treatment was to gain widespread adoption.
First published: 9 September 2023
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