Feline panleukopenia is an acute and highly contagious disease caused by feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). Conventional therapeutic approaches often yield suboptimal outcomes in managing leukopenia, which consequently contributes to its high mortality rate. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of multipotent stem cell characterized by their multidirectional differentiation potential and immunomodulatory capabilities. Studies have shown that MSCs possess the potential to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, support and promote hematopoiesis, and facilitate tissue repair. Therefore, this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of combining MSCs with feline panleukopenia monoclonal antibody to propose a potential treatment for FPV. MSCs were extracted from a newborn kitten’s umbilical cord tissue. Fifteen healthy unimmunized kittens aged 2 to 4 months were divided evenly into three groups: control group, conventional treatment group, and MSCs group (conventional treatment combined with MSCs therapy, involving daily intravenous administration of 1 × 107 MSCs for 3 consecutive days). Treatments were commenced once evident clinical symptoms manifested and white blood cell counts declined below the normal range. The subject cats were assessed for clinical signs, complete blood count (CBC), blood biochemistry, serum amyloid A (SAA), pathology and viral load in major organs. The results revealed that in the control group and conventional treatment group, cats exhibited a rapid decline in white blood cell count following disease onset, ultimately resulting in mortality. Conversely, in the MSCs group, four cats demonstrated an increase in white blood cell count post-treatment, subsequently returning to normal levels. However, one cat did not exhibit a significant increase and died on the third day of treatment. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of MSCs in elevating leukocyte counts, improving clinical symptoms, and ultimately leading to a significant enhancement of survival rates among FPV-affected cats.
Wang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.