Mesenchymal stem cells in dogs with demyelinating leukoencephalitis as an experimental model of multiple sclerosis
Luane Lopes Pinheiro,
Ana Rita de Lima,
Danielli Martinelli Martins,
Edivaldo Herculano C. de Oliveira,
Michel Platini C. Souza,
Carla Maria Figueiredo de Carvalho Miranda,
Patrícia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga,
Fabiele Baldino Russo,
Graciela Conceição Pignatari,
Ednaldo da Silva Filho,
Érika Branco
Affiliations
Luane Lopes Pinheiro
Institute of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Amazonia, Belém, PA, Brazil; Corresponding author.
Ana Rita de Lima
Institute of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Amazonia, Belém, PA, Brazil
Danielli Martinelli Martins
Institute of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Amazonia, Belém, PA, Brazil
Edivaldo Herculano C. de Oliveira
Tissue Culture and Cytogenetics Laboratory of the Environment Sector, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
Michel Platini C. Souza
Tissue Culture and Cytogenetics Laboratory of the Environment Sector, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
Carla Maria Figueiredo de Carvalho Miranda
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Patrícia Cristina Baleeiro Beltrão-Braga
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Fabiele Baldino Russo
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Graciela Conceição Pignatari
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Ednaldo da Silva Filho
Institute of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Amazonia, Belém, PA, Brazil
Érika Branco
Institute of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Amazonia, Belém, PA, Brazil
Researchers have used dogs with neurological sequelae caused by distemper as an experimental model for multiple sclerosis, owing to the similarities of the neuropathological changes between distemper virus-induced demyelinating leukoencephalitis and multiple sclerosis in humans. However, little is known about the role of mesenchymal stem cells in treating such clinical conditions. Therefore, we investigated the use of mesenchymal stem cells in four dogs with neurological lesions caused by the distemper virus. During the first year after cellular therapy, the animals did not demonstrate significant changes in their locomotive abilities. However, the intense (Grade V) myoclonus in three animals was reduced to a moderate (Grade IV) level. At one year after the mesenchymal stem cell infusions, three animals regained functional ambulation (Grade I), and all four dogs started to move independently (Grades I and II). In two animals, the myoclonic severity had become mild (Grade III). It was concluded that the use of mesenchymal stem cells could improve the quality of life of dogs with neurological sequelae caused by canine distemper, thus presenting hope for similar positive results in human patients with multiple sclerosis.
