Our team recently published an article titled “The Use of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (AD-MSCs) in Two Poodle Dogs with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Secondary to Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD)” in Jurnal Veterinar Malaysia.

This is the first reported case in veterinary literature that explores the therapeutic potential of stem cells for treating PH due to MMVD in dogs.

Case Summary
The case report describes two Poodle dogs suffering from pulmonary hypertension (PH)—a serious condition in which the blood pressure in the lungs is elevated. One dog had right heart failure (build up of fluid in the abdomen); whereas another had difficulty breathing and severe coughing. Both dogs were treated with AD-MSCs, a novel approach that showed promising results.

What is AD-MSCs?
AD-MSCs are specialized cells obtained from fat tissue that possess powerful anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. In PH, progressive smooth muscle proliferation in lung vessels—a process known as vascular remodeling—leads to worsening symptoms.

Current treatments do not target vascular remodeling, making PH a challenging and often fatal disease in both pets and humans.

AD-MSCs offer a potential breakthrough by addressing this underlying issue.

Results
After the treatment, the dogs showed improved breathing and heart function without significant side effects. Remarkably, one dog survived for 465 days with stable health following treatment; the other dog was still alive at the time of article writing (that is 644 days after a diagnosis of stage D MMVD was made).

This is particularly noteworthy, as dogs with PH-induced right heart failure due to MMVD or stage D MMVD typically do not survive beyond one year.

Conclusion
This case suggests that stem cell therapy could be a safe and promising new approach for managing PH in dogs. However, further research is needed to validate its long-term effectiveness and potential applications in veterinary medicine.