S4.E12. 34歲高顏值獸醫師 坐擁六項幹細胞培養技術專利

Jan Spaas從他過去的跳馬表演經驗中獲得靈感，研發出新的馬匹跛行（lameness）治療方案。身為全球幹細胞技術GST NV公司（Global Stem cell Technology，簡稱GST）的創辦人，Spaas與百靈佳殷格翰合作研發，並推出Arti-Cell^®Forte；這是第一個以幹細胞技術為研發基礎，並且註冊在案的動物保健藥物。

Jan Spaas 是一位富有熱情的騎馬者，曾為馬術跳台表演者；他成長於一個將馬視為珍寶的家庭。Spaas 說：「我的父親是一位專業的賽馬飼養員，關注馬匹的健康是他工作中很重要的一部分。我從他身上學習到以『馬的健康為第一優先』的觀念；放鬆以及復健，與訓練同樣重要。但我注意到，總是有許多馬在關節或肌腱受傷後無法完全康復，我沒辦法接受馬兒在接受治療之後，還是會有跛腳的可能。」在經歷許多無能為力的馬匹跛行事件之後，Spaas 終結了自己馬術表演者的職涯，轉而成為一名獸醫。他的博士論文主題就是「馬匹跛行生物治療方案的發展（the development of biological treatment methods for lameness in horses）」。

大多數的治療方案都只治標不治本，反覆發作幾乎是無可避免的現象。 — Jan Spaas博士

不只參與馬術運動的馬匹，幾乎每一匹馬在生命中的某個時候，都有遭遇跛行的可能。病情差距相當大：跛行有60% 的機率與骨關節炎（osteoarthritis）有關（因為關節發炎導致軟骨退化）；這會導致疼痛和腫脹，受到影響的馬匹將無法再參與演出。「無論在我身為馬術表演者，或者當獸醫時，馬骨關節炎的治療方案都不多；我因此下定決心，勢必要找到一種藥物（regenerative medicine）來治療復發性馬跛行症，改善牠們的健康和生活品質。」Spaas 又說：「大多數的治療方案只治標不治本，反覆發作幾乎是無可避免的現象。」

Arti-Cell^®Forte 是專為馬匹設計，因應馬匹跛行的長效並且便利的醫療方案。

Spaas 希望能找到有效的方法，讓深受跛行影響的馬匹感覺更舒適，並能長效的恢復行走能力，甚至盡可能地恢復至過往的表現水準，根本性的解決骨關節炎的議題。他的博士學位論文即是實驗如何從健康馬匹的幹細胞中培養新的軟骨組織：「最重要的發現在於：幹細胞在進行相應排序時會對軟骨組織的產生造成影響，進而能幫助受損的軟骨進行再生。」

研究顯示：60% 的馬匹跛型病例都與骨關節炎有關

Spaas 成立了GST 公司，希望能將這個創新的馬匹醫療方案，確實發展為可進行銷售的藥物，確實解決馬匹跛行的問題，並能在無需化學添加劑的前提下落實這個方案。該療法的原理是：讓患病馬匹注射來自於捐贈動物的血液幹細胞。這些幹細胞在實驗室中接受「排序（programmed）」，得以發射能讓軟骨組織生成「基質蛋白（matrix proteins）」的特殊訊號；Spass 解釋說：「這能讓軟骨再生，並且變得更加堅固。」

GST 藉由多次的實驗，對參與不同馬術項目的馬匹進行新型幹細胞療法的測試，大多數的動物都對該療法有反應。Spaas說：「縱使是急性病例，腫脹與跛行的症狀都能在接受治療的兩週內消退。」他和團隊成員們投入了大量的時間，試圖尋找合適的幹細胞供體。「目前，我們使用來自四隻健康供體馬匹的幹細胞；為了找到這些合適的幹細胞，我們對大約40匹馬進行了多方面的調查。」治療方案非常成功，大家的努力獲得了回報。

GST 公司自2018年開始與百靈佳殷格翰合作；創新的馬匹幹細胞療法於2019年4月時，以Arti-Cell^®Forte 的名稱進入市場。GST 創辦人Spaas 說：「百靈佳殷格翰是我們在國際市場推動Arti-Cell^®Forte 的最佳合作夥伴，我們的共同目標都是鑽研過去令人不甚滿意的治療方案，進而做出改變。」

New ways to treat lameness

Inspired by an experience from his previous career in show jumping, Dr. Jan Spaas has developed an innovative method for the treatment of lameness in horses. As the founder of Global Stem cell Technology NV(GST), he has worked together with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop and launch the medication Arti-Cell^® Forte. This is the first-ever registered stem cell-based veterinary medicine for animal health.

Jan Spaas, a passionate horse rider and former show jumper, grew up in a family where horses have always been of major importance. “My father was a professional horse breeder, keeping an eye on the health of horses was an essential part of his work. I learned from him that the health of a horse comes first, and relaxation and recovery were as important as training. However, I noticed that there were always some horses rehabilitating from joint or tendon injuries,” explains Jan. “I simply could not believe there was no possibility of treating recurring lameness which he saw in some of his horses.” Following his ongoing experience with his horses suffering from lameness and not being able to do anything, he ended his career as a show jumper – in order to become a veterinarian. The subject of his doctoral thesis: the development of biological treatment methods for lameness in horses.

Not only equine athletes but nearly every horse suffers from lameness at some point in its life. The causes vary widely – but in 60 percent of cases, the lameness is associated with osteoarthritis (joint inflammation and changes that result in a degradation of cartilage). This leads to pain and swelling, and the affected horse can no longer perform. “When I was competing and even when I became a veterinarian, there were very few options for treating osteoarthritis in horses. So, I decided to look for a regenerative medicine to treat recurrent lameness that would improve the health and quality of life of horses,” says Spaas. “Most therapeutic approaches addressed only the symptoms, not the cause. Recurring flare-ups were inevitable.”

“Most therapeutic approaches addressed only the symptoms, not the cause. Recurring flare-ups were inevitable”
Dr. Jan Spaas

The Belgian veterinarian wanted to find a way for animals affected by lameness to feel better, to improve recovery over the long term, and to return the horses to their previous level of performance wherever possible. He wanted to tackle the evil of osteoarthritis at the source. In his doctoral thesis, he sought to cultivate new cartilage tissue from the stem cells of healthy horses in test tubes with this goal in mind. “The most important finding was that stem cells are able to influence the production of cartilage tissue when programmed accordingly, and can thus aid in the regeneration of damaged cartilage.”

PUBLISHED STUDIES SHOW : 60% OF ALL EQUINE LAMENESS CASES ARE RELATED TO OSTEOARTHRITIS

He founded a company, GST, in order to develop his innovative therapeutic approach into a marketable medication that not only addresses the causes of lameness, but also does so without chemical additives. The principle behind the therapy is that afflicted horses are injected with blood stem cells from donor animals. These stem cells are “programmed” in the lab to send out specific signals that cause cartilage tissue to generate “matrix proteins”. “This allows the cartilage to regenerate and become more robust,” explains Spaas.

GST has tested the new stem cell therapy on horses from various equestrian disciplines through extensive experimentation. The majority of animals responded to the therapy. “Even in acute cases, swelling and lameness subside within two weeks after starting the treatment,” says Spaas. He and his team invest a significant amount of time in finding suitable stem cell donors. “At present, we use stem cells from four healthy donor horses. We carried out extensive examinations on roughly 40 horses in order to find them.” The effort paid off, because the therapeutic approach is highly efficient.

GST has cooperated with Boehringer Ingelheim since 2018, and the innovative stem cell therapy for horses entered the market under the name Arti-Cell^® Forte in April 2019. “For us, Boehringer Ingelheim is the perfect partner for establishing Arti-Cell^® Forte internationally,” says the founder. “We share the goal of researching therapies to treat conditions that still lack satisfactory options for treatment.”