Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare neuromuscular disease that is the result of an immune system attack on structures critical for nerve to muscle signaling. Clinical signs include generalized weakness and muscle weakness around the eyes, limbs or airways. There is no cure though some dogs will go into spontaneous remission. Novel stem cell therapies offer new hope for dogs with MG. For this clinical trial, we hope that adding stem cell treatment along with standard pharmaceutical treatment and care for MG will improve symptoms of the disease.

Degenerative disorders of the equine foot, such as laminitis are a major cause of foot lameness in horses. Unfortunately, laminitis is not only a devastating and expensive disease to treat, but there is also no true cure for the disease. Stem cell therapy is currently being examined at as a potential treatment for laminitis based on the ability of stem cells to replicate themselves, regenerate tissue, and repair damaged tissue. The purpose of this study is to assess the best administration method for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The clinical use of stem cells is still in its early stages, and determination of the ideal route to administer these cells in horses affected by laminitis is worth further investigation.

Intra articular disorders in horses remain as a major source of lameness and decrease performance. Conventional treatments are often long and expensive with less than optimal results and failure to return to a previous level of performance in the majority of cases. When intra articular lesions heal, scar tissue cannot be as functional as the original tissues, therefore the development of methods for regenerating tissue is our goal for an efficacious treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for intra-articular lesions. The clinical use of stem cells is still in its early stages, and determination of the ideal dose to administer these cells is worth further investigation.

Tendon and ligament injuries are a common cause of lameness in horses frequently associated with high expenses and failure to return to a previous level of performance. Conventional treatment regimens have various outcomes and mostly result in the formation of non-elastic scar tissue which plays a major role in the high incidence of recurrence. Scar tissue cannot be as functional as tendon and ligament tissue and the goal for an efficacious treatment is therefore the development of methods of regenerating the tissue and lessening the amount of scar tissue formation. The purpose of this study is to assess mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy as a potential treatment for tendonitis and desmitis. The clinical use of stem cells is still in its early stages, and determination of the ideal dose to administer these cells is worth further investigation.

Tendon and ligament injuries are a common cause of lameness in horses frequently associated with high expenses and failure to return to a previous level of performance. Conventional treatment regimens have various outcomes and mostly result in the formation of non-elastic scar tissue which plays a major role in the high incidence of recurrence. Scar tissue cannot be as functional as tendon and ligament tissue and the goal for an efficacious treatment is therefore the development of methods of regenerating the tissue and lessening the amount of scar tissue formation. The purpose of this study is to assess stem cell therapy as a potential treatment for tendon and ligament injuries. The clinical use of stem cells is still in its early stages, and determination of the ideal dose to administer these cells is worth further investigation.

Spina bifida (SB) occurs due to malformation of the spinal cord and/or vertebrae during pregnancy. It markedly affects the quality of a dog’s life. They have difficulties walking, or cannot walk at all, and are incontinent, predisposing them to repeated skin and urinary tract infections. As such, they do not make good pets for people and most often they are euthanized at a young age. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a novel stem cell therapy for spina bifida in English Bulldogs and compare the effects of reparative surgery alone to surgery plus a gel matrix and stem cell therapy for these dogs. Normal, healthy English Bulldogs will also be enrolled. Information collected from these dogs will be compared to the bulldogs with spina bifida to give us information on what the normal bulldog spine looks like and how the bulldog breed normally moves. With this information we can get a better sense of how well our treatment works in bulldogs who have spina bifida.

Inflammatory central nervous system disease is a severe inflammatory disease in dogs, which can cause severe disease in the brain and spinal cord, causing dogs to become very sick. None of the current treatments are ideal, predictable and without possible complications. In recent years, stem cells have shown some promise as a potential treatment option for chronic inflammatory diseases, therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of stem cell therapy on dogs with inflammatory brain disease.