Influential factors on stem cell therapy success in canine model of spinal cord Injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

• Stem cell therapy led to a significant improvement in the behavioral score compared to the control group. • Bone marrow stem cells may have superior therapeutic effects than those from umbilical cord blood and adipose tissue. • Stem cells undergoing neural differentiation in vitro demonstrate a more potent therapeutic effect. • The use of Matrigel in combination with stem cells is recommended to enhance the therapeutic outcome. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious medical condition. The search for an effective cure remains a persistent challenge. Current treatments, unfortunately, are unable to sufficiently improve neurological function, often leading to lifelong disability. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for SCI using canine models. It also explored the optimal protocol for implementing stem cell therapy. A comprehensive search of studies was conducted from 2000 to October 2022. This study focused on five outcomes: motor function score, histopathology, IHC, western blot, and SEP. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in locomotion post-SCI in dogs treated with stem cell therapy. The therapy also led to an average increase of 3.15 points in the Olby score of the treated dogs compared to the control group. These findings highlights stem cell therapy's potential as a promising SCI treatment. The meta-analysis suggests that using bone marrow stem cells, undergoing neural differentiation in vitro, applying a surgical implantation or intrathecal route of administration, associating matrigel in combination with stem cells, and a waiting period of two weeks before starting treatment can enhance SCI treatment effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]