Application of Cell-Based Therapies in Veterinary Dermatology

Abstract

Stem cells have been extensively studied in the field of veterinary medicine due to their unique characteristics. The last are undifferentiated cells with self-renewal, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory capacity. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used due to its simple isolation and expansion, being collected from different sources such as adipose tissue, bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord. For that reason, MSCs have been studied and used as innovative therapies in the treatment of several diseases, such as tendinitis, bone regeneration, osteoarthritis, neuromuscular diseases, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, kidney disorders, ophthalmology, oncology, and dermatology. Concerning dermatological problems, the number of skin diseases in animals has been increasing in recent years. Skin diseases may be related to genetic conditions, external aggressions, or immunological disorders. Many of these skin pathologies are chronic, reason why the animals are subjected to long-term therapies, which can have deleterious side effects. This review aims to highlight the importance of cell-based therapies, using MSCs from different origins and their secretome, in the field of veterinary dermatology and in immune-mediated diseases such as atopic dermatitis, furunculosis, anal vasculitis, and scar tissue regeneration. These approaches should be further explored, as they have revealed promising results in the search for novel therapies.