Stem cell therapy offers hope for cat

ISTANBUL

In a groundbreaking case, a cat diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) has received two doses of stem cell therapy in Istanbul, showing promising signs of improvement in its vision after experiencing gradual degeneration of retinal cells.

When Ayşe Alkan discovered that Lokum, her 5-year-old cat rescued from the street, was having trouble focusing, she sought medical advice. During examinations carried out by the veterinarian, Lokum was diagnosed with PRA.

Alkan was informed that there was no cure for the disease and that her cat would eventually go blind.

Unwilling to throw her hands up in despair, Alkan's quest for a solution led her to learn that stem cell therapy — which is often utilized to treat humans — had also lately been performed on animals.

After her research, she consulted veterinary surgeon Cem Perk, who administered two doses of stem cell therapy to Lokum at a two-week interval.

Following the course of therapy, Perk noted that the cat’s vision significantly enhanced, though underlining that the treatment should be repeated annually.

He further emphasized that this development marks the first instance of stem cells being administered to a cat's eye in Türkiye.

"The goal is to catch the disease during the stage when the pupils dilate and the animal becomes afraid of the dark and to prevent its progression through stem cell treatment," he said, referring to the significance of early diagnosis in the process.