W13-002: Longitudinal evaluation of effects of mesenchymal stem cells in feline chronic allergic asthma: Phase II

Asthma is a common breathing disorder in cats, decreasing quality of life and sometimes causing death. Currently asthma is managed using corticosteroids, which have many unpleasant side effects or may not be appropriate for cats with concurrent diseases like diabetes. Importantly, these medications only suppress inflammation and do nothing to reverse the underlying abnormal immune response that triggers the asthmatic syndrome. There is a need for new safe and effective treatments for feline asthma. Pilot data from an earlier Winn-funded study indicates that stem cells can be administered safely and alter some aspects of the immune response initially after administration. Other exciting data suggests the most dramatic response to stem cell therapy occurs months after administration. This study will continue the earlier work with evaluation of the long term effects of stem cells on the key features of asthma, which include airway inflammation and airway constriction.