A group of researchers from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph is seeking Thoroughbred racehorses between two and six years old, that have been diagnosed with front limb superficial digital flexor tendinitis, for a stem cell therapy study.
The study will investigate the repeated use of allogeneic umbilical cord blood mesenchymal cells for treatment of equine superficial digital flexor tendonitis. The cells will be injected into the damaged tissue (intralesional administration) on the test subjects.
The researchers hypothesize that repeated use of this treatment is safe, and promotes better quality, faster healing than repeated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. PRP treatment is similar, but uses a concentration of the injured individual’s own blood platelets instead of stem cells.