Evaluation of the Tolerability and Efficacy of Adjuvant Treatment with Adipose Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Dogs with Kidney Disease Secondary to Leishmaniosis

The tolerability and efficacy of treatment with allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (aAMSCs) were evaluated in dogs with kidney disease secondary to canine leishmaniosis (CanL). In this non-blinded, single-center, 3-month study, twenty dogs received either conventional treatment (CT; n = 10) or conventional treatment plus an intravenous dose of aAMSCs (CT + aAMSCs; n = 10). Efficacy was assessed at days 0, 30, and 90 using plasma and urinary biomarkers. In both groups (CT, n = 6; CT + aAMSCs, n = 7), glomerular filtration rate was estimated by scintigraphy, and urinary proteomics was performed. No serious adverse events were observed, although two dogs experienced transient gastrointestinal events. No significant between-group differences occurred in renal parameters at time points. Intragroup analyses showed significant reductions in uNGAL/c in both groups and UPCR only in CT + aAMSCs. Longitudinal mixed-effects analyses revealed no significant group × time interactions for any of the evaluated variables. Urinary proteomics identified four protein entries with higher abundance in the CT + aAMSCs group at T90, although UMAP showed no separation between groups. A single intravenous aAMSCs dose was well tolerated but provided no renal benefits over conventional treatment. Further studies should evaluate alternative dosing protocols.