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Stem cell therapy could help bear recover from painful disease
The Brevard Zoo is hoping a high-tech therapy will help a bear get back on his feet. The bear, named Brody, suffers from joint pain and walks with a limp; however, stem cell research could hold some promise.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - The Brevard Zoo is hoping a high-tech therapy will help a bear get his groove back.
Stem cell researchers are hoping to get Brody the bear back on his feet. Brody has been with the zoo for about a year. His caretakers say he was rescued from Ocala National Forest last year.
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As he ages, he’s having issues with his health.
"We took some X-rays at that time and we found that his hip joints were a little but abnormal," said Brevard Zoo veterinarian Kyle Donnelly.
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That's where stem cell therapy comes in.
Brody is now undergoing his second round of stem cell therapy: injections containing about five million stem cells were each given to his hip joints.
"Brody is feeling ok, he still has ongoing issues that are going to be sort of a lifetime of management for him."
This treatment should help some of the pain Brody is experiencing, but experts won’t see results for a few days or weeks.
"he goal is just to keep him as normal and as comfortable as possible. He is a young bear with tons of energy and he wants to run around and play really rough. If we can get him to a point where he can exhibit all those normal behaviors, that would be the dream."