In a significant stride towards veterinary regenerative treatment for dogs, scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have devised a non-invasive and pain-free method to reprogram canine stem cells using urine samples. The findings, published in Stem Cell Reports, hold promise for advancing medical care for companion animals.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been instrumental in human regenerative medicine, and with the increasing focus on advanced medical care for pets, the development of therapies using iPSCs for dogs and cats is anticipated.
However, canine somatic cells have exhibited lower reprogramming efficiency compared to human cells, posing limitations on the types of cells available for generating iPSCs. The standard practice of using feeder cells from a different species in iPSC induction comes with associated risks, prompting the need to enhance reprogramming efficiency without relying on feeder cells.
The research team, led by Professor Shingo Hatoya and Dr. Masaya Tsukamoto from the Graduate School of Veterinary Science at Osaka Metropolitan University, identified six reprogramming genes that increased canine iPSC generation efficiency by approximately 120 times compared to conventional methods using fibroblasts.
Crucially, the researchers achieved iPSC creation from urine-derived cells, offering a non-invasive, straightforward, and painless method. Moreover, they successfully generated canine iPSCs without the use of feeder cells, a notable achievement that was previously deemed impossible.
The implications of this research extend to advancing regenerative medicine and genetic disease research in veterinary science. The findings pave the way for further exploration of differentiating canine iPSCs into various cell types and applying them to treat diseases in dogs.
“As a veterinarian, I have examined and treated many animals,” noted Professor Hatoya. “However, there are still many diseases that either cannot be cured or have not been fully understood. In the future, I am committed to continuing my research on differentiating canine iPSCs into various types of cells and applying them to treat sick dogs, hopefully bringing joy to many animals and their owners.”
Source: Osaka Metropolitan University