Institute for Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana
PI: prof. dr. Gregor Majdič
Website: https://www.vf.uni-lj.si/en/area/institute-preclinical-sciences
Laboratory for Animal Genomics has already written a successful story on the use of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSC) for therapeutic purposes in clinical veterinary medicine. Extensive laboratory research on the possibilities of using MMSC as prominent tools for cell-based treatments in regenerative veterinary medicine led to the establishment of the spin-out company Animacel ltd. We continue to work on basic stem cell biology research as well as clinical applications, and we see exosomes as a very interesting research area with important potential for clinical developments. In our ongoing project the main goal is to isolate and characterize exosomes from canine MMSC (and later from other animals). We would like to determine if exosomes contribute to the regenerative properties of stem cells and could therefore be used for clinical therapies instead of live stem cells. If whole cells could be replaced by exosomes in therapeutic preparations it would represent an important step forward in regenerative medicine.