Sarcoid treatment breakthrough

The battle against sarcoids is forging ahead. Researchers in Scotland have succeeded in killing equine sarcoid cells using a technique known as gene silencing. They are now hoping to obtain funding for clinical trials using the new technique, which could result in a more effective, non-toxic treatment for sarcoids.

Sarcoids are the most common type of tumour found in horses. They are caused by infection with the Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV). The response to treatment is variable, and if treatment fails the sarcoids will often come back with a vengeance.

Recent research, funded by The Horse Trust, offers a potential ray of hope for owners of horses affected by sarcoids. The work was published in the journal Virus Research.

The research, led by Professor Lubna Nasir of the University of Glasgow, found that by inhibiting the activity of a particular viral protein within sarcoid cells, the amount of viral DNA in the cells reduced. This led to a reduction in the growth of the sarcoid cells and caused the cell to die by “Programmed cell-death” (PCD). The researchers believe that PCD occurs because the sarcoid cells become reliant on the virus.

"This could potentially be a major breakthrough in the treatment of sarcoids," said Professor Lubna Nasir. "We are now seeking funding to use this technique in clinical trials on horses that have sarcoids."

"One of the challenges with gene silencing is administering it within clinical setting - as you need to get molecules into every cell. As sarcoids are on the surface of a horse, we think administration should be relatively easy - potentially by injecting or applying a cream to the sarcoid," said Professor Nasir. "If we are able to successfully develop this technique it would be a non-toxic and easy to administer treatment for horses affected by this distressing condition."

See www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk for more details.