Current Status of Stem Cell Use in Cats
There is significant unmet medical need for cats, and regenerative therapies, including stem cells, are being evaluated as potential treatments for several feline diseases. Although there are currently no approved stem cell products for cats in the U.S., veterinary professionals can provide benefit to themselves and their patients by being aware of the regulations, unique considerations, and current evidence on the use of cell-based therapies in this species.
Tracy L. Webb
DVM, PhD
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Regenerative Medicine Applications for Bacterial Infections and Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats and Dogs.
Regenerative medicine is gaining popularity in small animal medicine for a variety of applications due to extensive research documenting the success of biologic therapies for a multitude of conditions. This treatment modality is most well-known for its use in osteoarthritis where it promotes downregulation of inflammation and regeneration of cartilage. However, there are multiple promising applications for other conditions such as multidrug resistant infections and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This lecture will introduce you to the variety of stem cell products used in research and clinical applications focusing on providing an increased understanding of what products are available and how to decide which products to choose. The use of cellular therapies in bacterial and viral infections as well as use in IBD will be discussed including the evidence supporting their use. The pathophysiology of these conditions will be discussed in light of how regenerative medical products can effect a cure or remission. This goal of this session is to help the practitioner make evidence-based decisions on the product and application of this promising novel therapy.
Valerie Johnson
DVM, PhD, DACVECC
Time: 1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
Regenerative Medicine for Musculoskeletal Disease
This session will cover the use of regenerative medicine to treat musculoskeletal disease, including osteoarthritis, tendon, and ligament injuries. We will discuss how to combine regenerative medicine with other products for injection into arthritic joints, as well using a multimodal approach for treating tendon or ligament injury. This information will arm practitioners with a good understanding of how to use regenerative medicine, alone or in combination with other treatments, to address musculoskeletal disease.
David Lane
DVM, ACVSMR, CVSMT, CCRT, CVA
Time: 2:20 pm - 3:20 pm
VetCE Virtual: Regenerative Medicine – Revolutionizing Veterinary Care
June 14, 2025 @ 12 pm - 3:30 pm ET
Agenda
Speakers
Tracy L. Webb
DVM, PhD
Tracy Webb is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University. Tracy received her DVM degree from The Ohio State University followed by a small animal medicine and surgery internship and an emergency and critical care residency at Angell Animal Medical Center. Tracy then moved to Colorado where she received a PhD in Pathology (Immunology) and then stayed to continue doing clinical research, clinical work, and to mentor students. Tracy has done research in regenerative medicine for over 15 years, and she is a past chair and on the Board of Directors of the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association. Tracy also does research in a number of additional areas and is involved in various committees and initiatives to encourage and support quality and sustainable veterinary research to improve outcomes for animals, people, and the planet.
Valerie Johnson
DVM, PhD, DACVECC
Dr. Johnson currently works at Michigan State University as an Assistant professor a position she has held for the past 4 years. She is a small animal critical care veterinarian with a strong interest in exotic species and wildlife. Dr. Johnson received her PhD in immunology in 2020 at Colorado State University. During her 10 years at CSU she developed a protocol to grow mesenchymal stem cells from blood from elephants and giraffes and has treated multiple exotic species including elephants, giraffes, large felids, bears, monkeys, and multiple other species. Over the past ten years she has been investigating the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as a therapeutic modality for various disease processes including multidrug resistant infections, immune-mediated disease and arthritis. She has worked with animal models trying to elucidate the mechanisms by which these cells exert a therapeutic effect and additionally has completed multiple clinical trials in dogs and exotic species with a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases. Her current research interests include development of a cellular based wound dressing for infected wounds, investigating the potential anti-viral effects of mesenchymal stem cells and comparison of MSC and therapeutic effects between species with age related osteoarthritis.
David Lane
DVM, ACVSMR, CVSMT, CCRT, CVA
Dr David Lane is a canine sports medicine specialist practicing in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. He has published numerous research papers on the topics of shoulder pathology and back pain, and has authored or co-authored multiple textbook chapters on canine lameness and osteoarthritis. Days off are spent in the mountains, on either skis or a mountain bike, depending on how much snow there is.
Why Attend?
The VetCE Virtual event series of micro-conferences is designed to deliver multiple approved RACE and/or CVPM CE credits in a concise, half-day virtual format with three consecutive one-hour presentations. The series not only provides you with the opportunity to benefit from educational sessions presented by expert speakers but also offers an easy way to learn and earn credits from the comfort of your home or office!
VetCE Virtual events cover a wide range of topics, from detailed medical discussions to practice management and other non-medical subjects relevant to everyday situations encountered by veterinary professionals. If you’ve already registered and happen to miss the live event, no worries, you’ll be given access to the OnDemand courses once they become available (typically about three weeks after the live event) Recordings of the sessions will be accessible for viewing for 2 weeks following each event, providing participants with a valuable reference.
Please be advised that we can not issue CE certificates for only viewing the session recordings. Anyone who registers for a VetCE Virtual event but is unable to attend the live sessions will get free access to the VetCE OnDemand courses we create from the recordings on VetMedTeam so you can still get CE credits!
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