Mesenchymal stem cells (Msc) and stem cell applications in veterinary medicine

In the living organism stem cells differentiate into diverse specialized cell types, capable of sustaining viability and self-renewal. Stem cells can be categorized as embryonal, and adult due to its origin. Embryonic stem cells obtained from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst has the ability to create the whole organism, differentiated tissue-derived stem cells have the limited growth and differentiation potential and tend to turn into the tissue from which they originated. Due to ethical limitations studies in the embryonic stem cells are limited. Ease of obtaining and common use of the cells in regenerative medicine makes mesenchymal stem cells favorable for studies. In humans; localized disease, systemic transplantations, stern cell therapy in combination with gene therapy and tissue engineering are the four areas of work to be started on stem cells. Stem cell research in veterinary medicine started in experimental animals in terms of being a good model for human diseases. Clinically mesenchymal stem cells are broadly used in horses for tendon injuries and in dogs for osteoartiritis/injury of the cartilage.