Stem cell therapy gave Mungus a new lease on life.

Eleven years ago, Amber McPhee-Millard made a well-meaning “mistake” common to cat lovers. She stopped by PetSmart to visit with some of the cats up for adoption – not that she was looking to bring home a cat, but she just wanted to give a little attention and love to the kitties waiting to be adopted. Mungus, however, had other ideas and McPhee-Millard’s “mistake” turned into a beautiful, purring addition to her life.

“When I saw Mungus, it was love at first sight,” said McPhee-Millard. “As soon as I walked into the area housing the adoptable cats, Mungus began to talk to me and did not stop. I didn’t think I was in a place where I could become a cat owner – I was a junior in college and getting ready to be married in a month – and, as hard as it was, I left Mungus behind.”

But McPhee-Millard was smitten (and a little guilt-ridden). She soon called the store back and made arrangements to pick Mungus up and bring him to his new forever home. A month later, McPhee-Millard married her husband, Garrett, and Mungus (who also goes by the name Larry) settled in contentedly with his new family.

During the next 10 years, Mungus had his health challenges, but he weathered them with dignity, grace and an easy-going personality. He had a congenital hernia, struggled with obesity, had an abdominal abscess, and was diagnosed at age 11 with a congenital degenerative sacrum. All of that paled in comparison to a diagnosis in January 2010 of early-stage renal failure, a diagnosis that devastated McPhee-Millard and her husband. Mungus was prescribed a special diet to slow down the progression of the disease, but the course would be the same – more and more compromised kidney function until Mungus’s kidneys stopped working altogether.

For Dr. Jessica Quimby, that outcome, so common for many cats with chronic kidney disease, is simply not acceptable. She has dedicated herself and her research work, along with a team of researchers and veterinarians at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, to developing new treatments that may provide better management of kidney disease in cats and maybe even one day lead to a cure.

“Stem cell treatments introduce new cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury,” said Dr. Quimby, a clinician and doctoral student in the College. “In our clinical trial, we are seeing if stem cells can improve renal function, decrease inflammation and scarring in the kidney, and improve levels of excess protein in the urine.”

Dr. Quimby and Dr. Steven Dow, a Professor in Small Animal Medicine, work with a research and clinical team to take adipose stem cells which are then expanded and injected into patients. Dr. Quimby spearheaded the project when she approached Dr. Dow because she was frustrated by the lack of treatments available for treating chronic kidney disease and was interested in trying something new.

Mungus was one of the early participants in the ongoing clinical trial, during which participating cats receive a series of IV injections of stem cells over several visits to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, while their kidney function is monitored. Following Mungus’s first treatment, he experienced one of the known side effects of stem cell therapy, rapid respiration. Dr. Quimby developed a new protocol to administer cells to Mungus to offset the reaction. His second and third treatments went well and Mungus saw a 60 percent improvement in his kidney function. After his fourth treatment, Mungus again experienced rapid respiration and Dr. Quimby suggested that his stem cell therapy end.

“Even though Mungus couldn’t finish the clinical trial, we already know that these treatments have been like a fountain of youth for him, and Dr. Quimby said they learned a lot about managing adverse reactions from Mungus’s experiences,” said McPhee-Millard. “His energy level is like he is 10 years younger, he has lost his excess weight, and his kidney values are back in the normal range. He will be tested again to measure the long-term efficacy of the treatments, but we hope to enjoy many more years with him. He has taught us a lot about being resilient and perseverant, especially in the face of difficult times, and we want to thank Dr. Quimby for all she has done for Mungus.”

The clinical trial in which Mungus participated is funded through Frankie’s Fund, established in July 2010 to support research into how adult feline stem cells may be used to treat injuries and diseases in cats. Frankie was a Siamese cat that became ill with acute kidney failure as a result of medication she received for an inflammatory mouth condition. Frankie participated in a CSU stem cell therapy clinical trial for cats with kidney failure in 2009. Her owner, Deborah Felin Magaldi, decided to create Frankie’s Fund to advance feline medicine, particularly in regards to stem cell therapies.

If you would like to make a gift in support of Frankie’s Fund, please visit the fund page or contact Paul Maffey, CVMBS Executive Director of Development at 970-491-3932.