Stromal cell therapy in cats with feline chronic gingivostomatitis: current perspectives and future direction

Abstract

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a painful, immune-mediated, oral mucosal inflammatory disease in cats. The etiology of FCGS remains unclear, with evidence pointing potentially toward a viral cause. Full-mouth tooth extraction is the current standard of care, and cats that are non-responsive to extraction therapy may need lifelong medical management and, in some cases, euthanasia. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (adMSCs) have been demonstrated to have advantages in the treatment and potentially the cure of non-responsive FCGS in cats. Therefore, adMSCs have attracted a series of ongoing clinical trials in the past decade. AdMSC therapy immediately after full-mouth tooth extraction was not explored, and we postulate that it may benefit the overall success rate of FCGS therapy. Here, we aim to summarize the current knowledge and impact of adMSCs for the therapeutic management of FCGS and to suggest a novel modified approach to further increase the efficacy of FCGS treatment in cats.