There are a few vulgar and very grave illnesses in dogsthat are passing difficult to treat . Canine osteoarthritis , otherwise known as degenerative joint disease in dogs , is one of those . It causes permanent deterioration of gristle around the dog ’s joints , and the issue carry on to progress foresighted - full term as the andiron ages .
Osteoarthritis and eye tooth arthritis are colligate , but are n’t the same . While canid arthritis refer to the inflammation of the reefer , degenerative joint disease is a worse inveterate condition where joints continue to drop . A batch of senior dogs are at a very eminent risk of canine degenerative joint disease , and there are very few solvent to help with this condition .
In this episode of Theory of Pets podcast , we ’re joined byDr . Terry Beardsley , a scientist , researcher and founder ofT - Cyte Therapeutics . Dr Beardsley has spent many year developing a treatment for feline leukemia and now canine osteoarthritis – LTCI ( Lymphocyte T - cell Immunomodulator ) .
LTCI is a by nature - occurring biologic that help many cats with leukemia , and earlier this year it became the first ever USDA - approved discussion for canine degenerative arthritis . Be certain to listen to today ’s podcast as we discuss arthritis in wienerwurst , leukemia in big cat and first - ever treatments and bar for this type of degenerative old age related diseases .
Listen to the episode in the video above and find the full podcast copy below . For more , visit this installment ’s situation on the prescribed hypothesis of Pets website .
Canine Osteoarthritis and LTCI(raw podcast transcript)
- To read just the interview transcript , please scroll down below .
So this week I was working on Top Dog Tips stuff , and I came across a newfangled … or I opine it ’s novel for canines but it ’s actually been around for cats for quite some fourth dimension … I came across this medicine , and the company , it ’s called T - Cyte , it ’s T hyphen C - Y - T - E. Basically like in the 1980s there was this immense race to find a cure for HIV and AIDS , and of form that pandemic ’s been going on and the inquiry continues and that ’s gotten a lot of publicity in recent years . So a tidy sum of medical scientist were using feline leukemia , that virus , and feline immuno deficiency computer virus as like research models for the human disease , and out of all of this research come in this new medication , it ’s being used with feline now for nine geezerhood with large great solution .
Doctor Terry Beardsley is a graduate from the Baylor College of Medicine . Doctor Beardsley and I had a conversation and that ’s what I ’m going to share with you today to learn a little bit more about the product because now , about a twelvemonth ago , they started using the same merchandise , it has a protein , LTCI protein that is what seems to be help the felines and they observe out that same protein can be very good for dog … to treat degenerative joint disease in dogs . So now for about a year they ’ve been using it with dogs and the findings are just unbelievable .
When this total across my desk I retrieve I need to educate preferred parent about this because it ’s something that I had never heard of , and arthritis is such a common matter in dogs , feline leukemia as well , it ’s not as common but it ’s certainly something that is n’t unheard of . So if you have an animate being that ’s suffering with this or just something to keep in the back of your mind because if you ’re go to be a pet proprietor retentive term and have multiple pets over the age chances are you ’re going to get a blackguard or a Arabian tea affected with one of these disease and it ’s something that you should surely talk to your veterinarian about .
It is raw , like I sound out for the dogs it ’s only been around for about a yr but for felines it ’s been being used for about nine twelvemonth , and I think the matter that blows my mind the most , because we ’ve had dogs in the past who suffered with arthritis and the treatment for that , they take supplements every day or they go in to the veterinary surgeon and they ’re get treatments all the time , and what they ’re finding with LTCI is that you … it ’s an injection , the injections in the kickoff are a little act more tight and you might do a couple of shot in a few workweek time span .
But then once you get away from that and as the clock time passes you may do these recall dose shots every few months , or maybe as Doctor Beardsley ’s give-up the ghost to mention in our consultation , they care to … every six months you may do these booster shots , and that ’s it , and you may help your dog . Obviously felid leukemia very serious and canine degenerative arthritis is something that just causes your weenie so much pain and suffering , they ’re not comfortable when they ’re walk ; they ’re not well-to-do when they ’re set down and kip , so if you’re able to do something to excuse some of that pain in the ass with just one pellet every six months that ’s to me just unbelievable .
Our dog-iron are our fellowship members and you require treatment for them that ’s going to be as well-fixed , as pain barren as possible . So I was really interested in this , I want to learn a little act more about it , and gratefully for me Doctor Terry Beardsley was able to let the cat out of the bag with me , he ’s obviously one of the scientists that have worked really closely with this product and carry on to work on , they ’re always doing more research and more examination so he ’s continuing to work on that and I was able-bodied to address with him so I ’m go to go ahead and countenance you guys heed to that interview .
Interview with Dr Terry Beardsley
Samantha : Could you just start off by giving me a slight act of your setting and kind of how you got involved ?
Dr. Beardsley : Yes . I receive my doctor’s degree at Baylor College of Medicine Graduate School and I study innate immune deficiency and that was the subject of my doctoral dissertation peculiarly focusing on bone essence transplantation . And then I run to the University of California , Los Angeles to do a post - doctorial company in nuclear medicament and radiation biological science , and that ’s where I fall upon this protein . We were actually work on another undertaking trying to reckon out how retroviruses induced leukemia and in the process we determine this protein . And I sort of put that aside because we were , as I said , depend at how retroviruses affect the ability of the immune system to respond and make immune deficiency .
But then I moved down to the University of California San Diego and set off focusing on this protein , what it was and how it functioned and that led to a couple of originative publication in the 80s . Those are on our website in PDF downloadable PDF , and it really describe the protein and its effect on the immune system . And then I left academe and went to work for a heavy pharmaceutical company .
This workplace sort of sit on the shelf for a while and then I started the herald of T - Cyte Therapeutics in the 90s where actually our parent companionship S - Cell Biosciences , Inc. was focusing on the ability of this protein to involve immune deficiency disease and we used feline leukaemia and feline immune lack virus in cats as a model for human need . That culminated in the favourable reception that we received for treat those two diseases in cats . So that ’s been our focal point for most of T - Cyte Therapeutics history .
And then we really serendipitously observe that this protein not only can increase immune responsiveness against foreign infectious agents but it can damp , resistant responses to self … And we had some clues about it year ago when I was first study the protein but we really did n’t translate the mechanism , we did n’t know about regulatory T - Cells at that time . And then we had done a study several years ago looking at the ability of lymphocyte T cell immunomudulator to improve immunity against influenza . We in reality did that study with a major research laboratory over in the United Kingdom , and one of the funny results was the ability of LTCI to suppress the influx of immune cells into the respiratory tract within 48 hours , actually 24 to 48 hours , and that ’s too shortly for an immune response to hap , so we again did n’t quite understand how that was occur .
And so again that notice sat on the shelf for a few years , and then through some findings in other report we agnize that this protein could dampen these auto immune type responses and we decided to look at arthritis . And the gold standard model for arthritis is a rodent model where you cause arthritis by shoot them with strange collagen and it causes arthritis in their hind foundation , and again it ’s a example for arthritic arthritis and it ’s used to test all promising biologics and drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis . So we did experiment using that poser and it was a singular reply , the swelling and pain in the hind understructure was reduced within 72 hours of the first shot of LTCI .
Samantha : Wow !
Dr. Beardsley : So after we documented the affect in this gold - standard manakin we were test the agents for rheumatoid arthritis , we evaluated okay where could we utilize this , and my first thought of course was arthritis in dog and my … rheumatoid arthritis in dogs , and my veterinary associate degree said well why not place degenerative arthritis , and my immediate reply was what I learned in graduate schooltime over the year as did most people in aesculapian enquiry with osteoarthritis as with unlike disease that ’s triggered by wear and tear , it ’s a age - have-to doe with degenerative disease of the articulation .
But I did what most investigator do and I went to the literature and lo and behold I bump wads of papers over the last 10 years and going back in reality 20 years that suggest that osteoarthritis was an immune - liaise process similar to arthritic arthritis , and that data point has accumulated and accelerate to the discernment now that osteoarthritis is do by an immune - mediated process similar to the same process that occurs in rheumatoid arthritis .
The same chronically - activate immune cells can be found inside synovial fluid in osteoarthritis patient , both dog and humanity as is found in arthritic arthritis . So the musical theme is whether the joint is breach by viral or bacterial contagion which has long been thought to be the initiation for rheumatoid arthritis , or there is strong-arm injury that damages the joint , once the immune system can gain accession to joint tissue this continuing immune activated destruction can fall out .
So we go forwards and we did the study with a prominent orthopedic veterinary in Kansas City double blind placebo dominance bailiwick so none of the practitioner in which wiener were getting the handling in which dogs were in the placebo radical and we also used the accusative force crustal plate psychoanalysis which is to put a dog on a platform and measure the pressure that ’s exercise by the feign tree branch before treatment and after treatment , and the results were perfectly remarkable . And again that data is put out by the chemical group in the study , that composition is in downloadable PDF .
And the handling weenie showed an average 40 asset percent betterment in mobility based on the force plate analytic thinking and the placebo cad as a mathematical group had minus 17 % decrease in procedure . And again we had a remarkable result and we submitted that information for approval and as I order , receive that approving last November . Now it is conditional , the USDA has that provision in their regulation that if you ’ve show safe , purity , potentiality and a sensible expectation of efficacy based on the data point you have a conditional approval while you ’re go on to do studies to show unambiguously that the mathematical product is efficacious .
Samantha : I see .
Dr. Beardsley : So that ’s really the thumbnail sketch of how we discovered the ability of LTCI to tone down these immune - mediated processes and receive the commendation . And the feedback that we ’re get now from the field , from veterinarians and hound possessor whose Canis familiaris have been treat is confirm in the study results , a definite improvement and mobility after the first or second injection .
Samantha : That ’s amazing ! That ’s really amazing . I know we ’ve had dogs in the past that have suffer with arthritis and that ’s plainly a very common in canine tooth , so to have relief that quickly is just unbelievable . I think as a pet parent when your click is ache and uncomfortable it ’s encounter something that will go , and sometimes these treatments take months and months to show decent results for your hotdog to actually seem more comfortable , so for something to work that quickly is just unbelievable .
Dr. Beardsley : No , it ’s been remarkable and I ’ve been doing enquiry for 40 plus years and this is one of the most spectacular results that I ’ve seen , and I ’ve seen it in my own 10 - year old Rottweiler who acquire degenerative arthritis in his veracious front leg after having been bite by a rattlesnake , and this is a hundred and 25 pound dog that could hardly go out to relieve himself and now he begs to go on a three or four mile walking every afternoon and even when we get home . And so that is what I ’ve get wind with my own arthritic frank so we ’re excited about it , we conceive it provides another arrow in the quivering for veterinarians and dog that either do n’t respond to the live non - steroidal anti - incendiary or the anti - incitive drug and are intolerant to those drug .
Samantha : Yeah absolutely , that ’s just amazing ! Now for favorite parents that say their frankfurter or their cat … you had touched on too that LTCI has been show to plow felineleukemiaas well , so if they have a cat or a wienerwurst that ’s suffering with one of these condition and they go into their vets berth and because this is a newer turn handling , what should they talk to their veteran about , or ask about ?
Dr. Beardsley : Well I would encourage them to either download the information and impress it out and take it to their veterinary surgeon , or further their veterinarian to give us call and I will be more than felicitous to talk with them and explain the product how it works and answer any of their questions .
And I think the most of import panorama of this is that these study have been done by other people outside our own four walls and the threefold blind placebo control condition subject field done by others not associate with the company they use the gold standard of military force home analysis which again is all documentary , and none of the veterinarians involved in the study knew which hound were receive intervention or the placebo , and so the computer code was only broken once I received the force plate psychoanalysis information . And so I think that validates the finding even further .
Again , Doctor Jones is a highly - abide by orthopedic veterinary surgeon in Kansas City and I would even advance veterinarians to give him a call if they have any questions , or any of the other co - writer on the paper because again these are the people that did the study . I ’m not a veterinary and so I set back any questions to any of those people .
Samantha : Sure , of course of action . And one of the thing that we lecture about , kind of the safety equipment of it and making sure that all the studies are accountable and affair . Speaking of safe , that ’s a concern for a lot of best-loved parent and especially with the newer ware , any form of product I think but specifically something that ’s … veterinarian economic consumption and something that ’s on the aesculapian closing hoi polloi are always concerned about safety . Are there any side effect ? Are you find any drawback I guess after the beast are injected ?
Dr. Beardsley : No , this is a very well - abide mathematical product , it is a naturally take place protein that is normally found in serum of mass and animals . It does diminish with age or in certain disease state , so we ’ve only had three adverse event report in nine years since the product was first approved for felid leukemia and feline immune want virus disease , none of those was determined to be due to LTCI . And safety gadget is the number one criteria for the USDA in the blessing of any product and we saw no adverse events in the canine studies .
Samantha : rattling . And you say that the felid … it was sanction for felines nine years ago ?
Dr. Beardsley : Yes .
Samantha : And when was it approved for eyetooth ?
Dr. Beardsley : We got that approving in November of last twelvemonth .
Samantha : That was the one in November , I see . Okay , so you ’ve been using it for khat for quite some time then ?
Dr. Beardsley : Yes , yes .
Samantha : howling . So a lot of vets probably know that it ’s out there and if people go in and their animal ’s having trouble and is diagnosed with one of these condition if they mention that , it ’s probably known more for Arabian tea than for frankfurter I guess .
Dr. Beardsley : That ’s correct . We do have hundreds of vets that are using it for cat who now we ’ve made cognisant that it ’s O.K. for dogs stand from temperate to severe degenerative joint disease and we ’re attempt to boom that noesis root to all of veterinarians across the state .
Samantha : Of track . Speaking of expanding , I know you touched just in brief on continuing your research , can you talk about possibly what ’s next or do you guy rope have any things that you ’re work on right now ?
Dr. Beardsley : Well we are continuing the inquiry and studies both in cats and dogs . We are planning a larger study in frankfurter with osteoarthritis , we ’re really going to focus on how LTCI is dampen the resistant mediated process , we ’re depart to work major veterinary school that has the capability to look at the immunologic parametric quantity that are involved in the disease and how LTCI is altering that .
What we opine is happening is once you nail or down regulate this immune - mediated process we think the joint can heal , and that seems to be the evidence from the feedback in the subject that these maintenance battery-acid can be progressively stretch out to every two calendar month / three calendar month / four months .
We have cat now that are getting maintenance DOS every six months and the dog that are on intervention for degenerative joint disease are out to four - calendar month maintenance doses . So again this is suggestive that once the immune - liaise legal injury is slowed down or arrested that the reefer can start out to bring around even in an older dog . And again I ’ve figure in my own Rottweiler , he ’s down four months on his maintenance schedule now .
Samantha : Wow ! That ’s unbelievable , I mean a lot of treatments require … some require day by day but certainly not months out , so that ’s unbelievable .
Dr. Beardsley : No , it ’s been incredible to me , and of course this is the only individual hot dog that I ’ve experience , I mean we ’re get feedback from the field of honor which confirms the study termination .
Samantha : Yeah , I have in mind not only is it more commodious for the preferent owner and certainly more comfortable for the dog that they ’re not have to do affair so often , but it must be price economy as well if you ’re only receive to do this every … like you said , three , four , possibly even every six month .
Dr. Beardsley : No , I think it ’s cost - good from that stand and again it ’s a painless subcutaneous injectant and it does n’t bother the dog at all . We ’ve had no indicant that the injection on a repeated basis causes any adverse events .
Samantha : So when you start the regime , I gauge , if your veterinarian ’s move to do that , do you come out doing hebdomadary injections or daily injection ?
Dr. Beardsley : Well we have to recommend the regimen that we used in the bailiwick … in the room pre - clinical studies that are the base we habituate for the approval , and that was a much more aggressive regimen . In those studies we did three injection in each of the first two weeks and two injections in weeks three and four .
Now in this next survey we ’re going to back off to the regime we have found to be effective in cats , and that ’s three injections in the first two weeks and then monthly or every other month maintenance doses because the mechanism of action is the same , it ’s the increase in the act and function of the pre - cursors of cells that become regulatory cellphone and so there ’s no ground to trust that the dose recommendation that we have regain to be effective in cats wo n’t be the same in dogs .
Samantha : Right .
Dr. Beardsley : We were n’t sure of that when we did the initial experiments …
Samantha : Oh of path , of course .
Dr. Beardsley: … but we ’re confident enough in this much larger study , we ’re run low to utilize the three social disease … regimen in two weeks and then the monthly or every or monthly sustenance doses .
Samantha : Excellent . That ’s just unbelievable .
Dr. Beardsley : Because it is an alternative for weenie owner and for veterinary particularly in former pawl that may be illiberal of other treatments .
Samantha : sure , yeah . And I ’ll be indisputable to link to the T - Cyte website as well so that hoi polloi can see the research that ’s done on there and the information there as well .
I need to give a immense thank you to Doctor Beardsley for strike time out of his busybodied agenda to mouth with me , that was just an optic - opening interview and I learned so much from him and not only about T - Cyte and the LTCI protein but just about caring for your click in world-wide and how they arise the merchandise . So I ’ll be sure to keep that in the back of my thinker if we have any issues with our weenie .
Those results are unbelievable and do a petty fleck more inquiry , I encourage you to jump on the website that link is going to be in our show notes on our website which isTheoryofPets.com , you’re able to jumpstart on there and I join to their internet site and as he mentioned there are tons of great PDFs and research . If it ’s something that you ’re interested in or something that you ’re thinking about for your dog make trusted you jump on there , do that inquiry , register up about it , take it to your vet , have a conversation with them and see what they cogitate about it but there is just so much feedback coming from hoi polloi who have tried this , and confident thing .
As Doctor Beardsley mentioned , the side effects are minimal to none , they have n’t had any disconfirming reaction , so of course every pawl is different and who know exactly how your dog is going to react to a certain handling but it ’s definitely deserving a look through and a read and a conversation with your vet . So that will be on there as well as of form our show notes and you’re able to find all my past podcasts and show note for those on there as well .
