Colorado State University Spin-Off Business Makes Stem Cells from Bone Marrow Available to Veterinarians

Two Colorado State University researchers have launched a business to provide stem cells derived from the bone marrow of animals to veterinarians. Veterinarians have been using stem cells as part of a treatment for joint, tendon and ligament injuries.

Advanced Regeneration Therapies, or ART, will provide the service which will expand the small number of stem cells in bone marrow samples. Stem cells can be ‘expanded’ into a larger number of cells, adequate for use by a veterinarian. ART will expand stem cells from samples of bone marrow taken by a veterinarian through a process that multiplies the original number of stem cells. The expanded cells will only be used to treat the animal from which the original sample was taken.

The company is founded by Drs. David Frisbie and John Kisiday, both researchers in the university’s Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center. The stem cells will be supplied only to licensed veterinarians and will not be issued to public pet owners.

“We look forward to serving the needs of veterinarians around the nation,” Frisbie said. “While the veterinary community is still learning about the benefits of stem cell treatments, they show promise in treating orthopedic injuries and providing a higher quality of life for animals with these sorts of injuries.”

Current research shows that bone marrow-derived stem cells can greatly benefit certain injuries in animals. For example, a study out of Colorado State University showed that 10 out of 15 horses with catastrophic joint injuries injected with marrow-derived stem cells fully recovered. None of the 15 horses were expected to recover under normal treatment.

While ART is currently focusing on providing stem cells for equine orthopedic injuries, the company is moving toward supplying cells to other species.

For more information on the company, email cckart@gmail.com or call tkpart@gmail.com. Requests for services must come from licensed veterinarians.

-30-