Intravenous administration of puppy deciduous teeth stem cells in degenerative valve disease

AIM: The objective of this study is to investigate the improvement of heart function in dogs with chronic valvular heart disease after puppy deciduous teeth stem cells (pDSCs) administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 client-owned dogs with degenerative valvular heart disease underwent multiple intravenous injections of allogeneic pDSCs. Dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: (i) Control group (n=10) with standard treatment for heart failure and (ii) group with standard treatment and multiple administrations of pDSCs (n=10). Electrocardiography, complete transthoracic echocardiography, thoracic radiography, and blood pressure were recorded before and after pDSCs injections for 15, 30 and 60 days. RESULTS: Post pDSCs injection showed measurable improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) functional class significantly improved and improved quality of life scores were observed. In the control group, there were no significant enhancements in heart function or ACVIM class. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests that pDSCs could be a supplement for valvular heart disease treatment.