Induced pluripotent stem cells in companion animals: how can we move the field forward?
Authors: Barrachina Laura, Arshaghi Tarlan Eslami, O'Brien Aisling, Ivanovska Ana, Barry Frank
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Companion Animals: Moving Regenerative Medicine Forward Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer substantial promise for veterinary regenerative medicine, circumventing the limitations of conventional mesenchymal stromal cells—which face senescence and restricted differentiation capacity—whilst avoiding the ethical concerns surrounding embryonic stem cell use. Barrachina and colleagues conducted a comprehensive review of iPSC generation and application strategies specific to companion animals (particularly horses, dogs, and cats), examining the practical steps from somatic cell selection through reprogramming protocols, expansion, and characterisation, before assessing current therapeutic applications and identifying critical knowledge gaps. Key findings highlight that whilst iPSC technology is well-established in human medicine, veterinary applications remain underdeveloped, with species-specific biological differences requiring tailored approaches rather than simple translation from human protocols; the review identifies reprogramming efficiency, immunogenicity assessment, and rigorous characterisation protocols as priority areas needing optimisation across equine, canine, and feline species. For equine professionals, this work underscores the significant potential of iPSCs for treating musculoskeletal injuries, tendon and ligament pathology, and cartilage degeneration—conditions prevalent in sport and working horses—though substantial pre-clinical development remains necessary before clinical application. Advancing iPSC methodology in veterinary medicine requires collaborative, species-focused research programmes; establishing such foundations will simultaneously generate pre-clinical knowledge applicable to human medicine, exemplifying the bidirectional benefits of comparative regenerative medicine.
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Practical Takeaways
- •iPSC technology represents a promising frontier for regenerative therapies in equine, canine, and feline medicine, potentially offering alternatives to current MSC-based treatments with better long-term viability
- •Practitioners should recognize that veterinary iPSC applications remain largely in development; current clinical use is not yet available but advances in human medicine will inform future equine therapies
- •Understanding species-specific biology will be essential for translating iPSC breakthroughs from human medicine into practical companion animal treatments
Key Findings
- •Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) overcome limitations of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) by avoiding senescence and providing unlimited differentiation capacity without ethical concerns of embryonic stem cells
- •iPSC technology is significantly less developed in veterinary species compared to human medicine, requiring species-specific optimization approaches
- •iPSCs have potential applications in companion animals for therapy, disease modeling, drug screening, and species preservation strategies
- •Knowledge transfer from human iPSC research can advance veterinary applications, but critical species-specific differences must be investigated for effective implementation