New Strategy for Treating Septic Joint Infection in Foals
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106 – July/August, 2022
By Heather Smith ThomasResearch is currently underway to assess a novel therapeutic process for treating multidrug-resistant bacterial joint infections (septic arthritis) in foals. This research is being done in partnership with Colorado State University, Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Kentucky.
Dr. Thomas Koch (Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College), founder and CEO of eQcell—the company that is partnering in this research, has co-authored several papers discussing early research using a combination of antibiotics and stem cells in treating these resistant infections. The introduction to one of those review papers (Mesenchymal Stromal Cells As Potential Antimicrobial for Veterinary Use—A Comprehensive Review) state that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern, leaving very few treatment options in some cases.
Antimicrobial resistance is caused by unnecessary or excessive antimicrobial use, or misuse associated with suboptimal dosage or duration. In the last few years, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) have released a joint statement on responsible and judicious use of antimicrobials and have published guidelines for appropriate veterinary antimicrobial use. Many federal agencies around the world are now moving to reduce the use of antimicrobials in animals.
Clinicians today may want to consider other strategies for treating microbial infections, and one of those strategies may include mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). These unique cells have been explored in regenerative medicine as raw material for engineering tissues or as immune-stimulating agents for treatment of inflammatory diseases. More recently, MSCs have shown promise as a potential treatment to address infections that are resistant to antimicrobial treatments.
