Our horses’ bodies are composed of cells for every function imaginable. Among these are stem cells, which have the unique capacity to become virtually any type of cell. Scientists have known about these cells’ existence for more than a century, but it has only been during the past several years that the equine industry has benefited from this knowledge. Today veterinarians can collect stem cells from injured horses, manipulate them in a lab setting, and then use them to address injuries such as bowed tendons in the original horses from which the cells were drawn. But stem cells aren’t the only kinds of cells that veterinarians are employing in injury treatment. Platelets also appear to play an important role in healing.

"Regenerative medicine is a collection of biologic techniques that uses the body’s natural ability to heal," explains Lisa A. Fortier, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, associate professor of Large Animal Surgery at Cornell University, who presented about using regenerative medicine to treat equine joint disease at the 49th British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, held Sept. 8-11, 2010, in Birmingham, United Kingdom. "This could mean pulling the stem cells or platelets out of the body and then reinjecting them or using a technique to direct them to the desired location within the patient’s body."

In this article we’ll explore what regenerative medicine is, how veterinarians are using these therapies, and what scientists are learning in their studies on regenerative medicine and its potential benefits