Baropodometry and Its Clinical and Imaging Correlations in Dogs Undergoing TPLO and Treated with Allogeneic Adipose-derived stem cells and Their Secretome via Intra-articular Injection - A Prospective Double-Blind Clinical Study

• Grant number: 24/14807-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Watanabe Minto
• Grantee: Alefe Luiz Caliani Carrera
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/14285-6 - Comparative analysis of the clinical application of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) or minimally invasive nail osteosynthesis (MINO) in dogs, AP.R

Abstract

Cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) is routinely treated using the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) technique. Although effective and widely used, TPLO does not completely prevent the progression of osteoarthritis, and postoperative recovery can be prolonged, with some dogs taking up to nine months to return to normal function. Alternative therapies, such as the use of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) and their secretome, have shown potential in reducing joint inflammation and may offer a promising modality for accelerating clinical recovery in patients undergoing TPLO. In view of the need for new therapeutic approaches that can improve clinical outcomes in dogs undergoing TPLO, as well as providing objective data on the clinical efficacy of AD-MSCs and their secretome in the treatment of osteoarthritis secondary to CCLD, this study aims to compare the efficacy of AD-MSCs and their secretome in intra-articular treatment post-TPLO in dogs. Thirty dogs diagnosed with CCLD and undergoing TPLO will be included, divided into three groups treated intra-articularly with AD-MSCs (GAD-MSC), AD-MSC secretome (GSCM), and a control group (CG). Evaluations will include gait analysis, orthopedic examination, baropodometry, accelerometry, joint ultrasound, and radiographs, as well as measurement of serum inflammatory biomarkers at pre- and postoperative time points, with clinical evaluations up to 120 to 150 days post-procedure. The study is expected to identify outcomes related to early clinical recovery, reduced osteoarthritis progression, and significant reduction in joint pain and inflammation in the treated groups, with particularly promising results anticipated in the GSCM.