FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Veterinary dermatology2006; 17(4); 259-265; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00526.x

Efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of equine sarcoids: a pilot study.

Abstract: Imiquimod is an immune response modifier with potent antiviral and antitumour activity. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of an imiquimod 5% cream (Aldaratrade mark: 3M, Saint Paul, MN, USA) as a topical treatment for equine sarcoids. Fifteen horses with a total of 19 tumours were enrolled, including mixed (7), fibroblastic (5), flat (3), verrucous (2), and nodular (2) types. Baseline data included history, physical examination, tumour location, measurement and digital photography. Imiquimod was applied by the owners three times a week until complete resolution of the tumour or 32 weeks, whichever occurred first. Tumours were measured and photographed every 4 weeks. Treatment efficacy was defined as 75% or greater reduction of tumour size by the end of the trial. Four sarcoids were withdrawn from the study. Twelve of the remaining 15 tumours (80%) showed more than 75% reduction in size and nine (60%) totally resolved between 8 and 32 weeks. The most common adverse effects of exudation, erythema, erosions, depigmentation and alopecia were limited to the tumour and adjacent areas. The results suggest that topical imiquimod is a therapeutic option for the treatment of equine sarcoids, although more detailed studies are required to corroborate these initial findings.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2006-07-11 PubMed ID: 16827669DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00526.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Clinical Trial
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper is about a pilot study that examined the effects of imiquimod, a topical antiviral and antitumor cream, on equine sarcoids (skin tumors in horses). The study concluded that imiquimod was successful in reducing the size of these tumors in a majority of the cases.

Introduction and Objective

  • The study was performed to evaluate the potential of imiquimod 5% cream (also known by its brand name Aldara) in treating equine sarcoids. Sarcoids are common skin tumors found in horses and can appear in different forms (fibroblastic, flat, verrucous, and nodular).

Methodology

  • The study involved 15 horses with a total of 19 tumors. Basic information about each horse was taken, including medical history, physical examination, tumor location, and the size of the tumor was measured and documented with digital photography.
  • Owners were instructed to apply the imiquimod cream on the tumors three times a week. This treatment continued until the tumor had completely resolved or until 32 weeks had passed from the beginning of the treatment.
  • Treatment outcome was evaluated and documented every four weeks by measuring and photographing the tumors. Successful treatment was defined as the size of the tumor decreasing by 75% or more by the end of the study.

Results

  • Four out of the 19 sarcoids were withdrawn from the study. Out of the remaining 15 tumors, 12 (or 80%) showed a reduction in size of more than 75% and nine (or 60%) completely resolved between 8 and 32 weeks of treatment.
  • Common side effects of the treatment with imiquimod included exudation (oozing), erythema (redness), erosions (open sores), depigmentation (loss of color), and alopecia (hair loss). These effects were confined to the tumor site and the areas surrounding it.

Conclusion

  • The study concluded that imiquimod is a promising treatment for equine sarcoids. However, the researchers acknowledged that additional studies would be necessary to further confirm these results.

Cite This Article

APA
Nogueira SA, Torres SM, Malone ED, Diaz SF, Jessen C, Gilbert S. (2006). Efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream in the treatment of equine sarcoids: a pilot study. Vet Dermatol, 17(4), 259-265. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00526.x

Publication

Veterinary dermatology
ISSN: 0959-4493
NlmUniqueID: 9426187
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 4
Pages: 259-265

Researcher Affiliations

Nogueira, Sandra A F
  • Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. nogu0005@umn.edu
Torres, Sheila M F
    Malone, Erin D
      Diaz, Sandra F
        Jessen, Carl
          Gilbert, Sophie

            MeSH Terms

            • Administration, Cutaneous
            • Aminoquinolines / administration & dosage
            • Aminoquinolines / therapeutic use
            • Animals
            • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
            • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
            • Female
            • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
            • Horse Diseases / pathology
            • Horses
            • Imiquimod
            • Male
            • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy
            • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / veterinary
            • Pilot Projects
            • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy
            • Skin Neoplasms / veterinary
            • Treatment Outcome

            Citations

            This article has been cited 13 times.
            1. Jindra C, Hainisch EK, Brandt S. Immunotherapy of Equine Sarcoids-From Early Approaches to Innovative Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023 Mar 30;11(4).
              doi: 10.3390/vaccines11040769pubmed: 37112681google scholar: lookup
            2. Saba C, Eggleston R, Parks A, Peroni J, Sjoberg E, Rice S, Tyma J, Williams J, Grosenbaugh D, Leard AT. ALVAC-fIL2, a feline interleukin-2 immunomodulator, as a treatment for sarcoids in horses: A pilot study. J Vet Intern Med 2022 May;36(3):1179-1184.
              doi: 10.1111/jvim.16425pubmed: 35416353google scholar: lookup
            3. Weber LA, Delarocque J, Feige K, Kietzmann M, Kalbitz J, Meißner J, Paschke R, Cavalleri JV. Effects of Topically Applied Betulinic Acid and NVX-207 on Melanocytic Tumors in 18 Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 13;11(11).
              doi: 10.3390/ani11113250pubmed: 34827981google scholar: lookup
            4. Weber LA, Funtan A, Paschke R, Delarocque J, Kalbitz J, Meißner J, Feige K, Kietzmann M, Cavalleri JV. In vitro assessment of triterpenoids NVX-207 and betulinyl-bis-sulfamate as a topical treatment for equine skin cancer. PLoS One 2020;15(11):e0241448.
              doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241448pubmed: 33151949google scholar: lookup
            5. Croaker A, King GJ, Pyne JH, Anoopkumar-Dukie S, Liu L. Sanguinaria canadensis: Traditional Medicine, Phytochemical Composition, Biological Activities and Current Uses. Int J Mol Sci 2016 Aug 27;17(9).
              doi: 10.3390/ijms17091414pubmed: 27618894google scholar: lookup
            6. Rothacker CC, Boyle AG, Levine DG. Autologous vaccination for the treatment of equine sarcoids: 18 cases (2009-2014). Can Vet J 2015 Jul;56(7):709-14.
              pubmed: 26130832
            7. Bogaert L, Woodham AW, Da Silva DM, Martens A, Meyer E, Kast WM. A novel murine model for evaluating bovine papillomavirus prophylactics/therapeutics for equine sarcoid-like tumours. J Gen Virol 2015 Sep;96(9):2764-2768.
              doi: 10.1099/vir.0.000212pubmed: 26044793google scholar: lookup
            8. Wilford S, Woodward E, Dunkel B. Owners' perception of the efficacy of Newmarket bloodroot ointment in treating equine sarcoids. Can Vet J 2014 Jul;55(7):683-6.
              pubmed: 24982522
            9. Finlay M, Yuan Z, Morgan IM, Campo MS, Nasir L. Equine sarcoids: Bovine Papillomavirus type 1 transformed fibroblasts are sensitive to cisplatin and UVB induced apoptosis and show aberrant expression of p53. Vet Res 2012 Dec 4;43(1):81.
              doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-43-81pubmed: 23210796google scholar: lookup
            10. Monteiro MM, de Castro ELA, Pereira AJM, Thiesen R, Thiesen RMC, Salvarani FM. BCG Immunotherapy in Equine Sarcoid Treatment: Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Challenges in Veterinary Oncology. Viruses 2025 Sep 29;17(10).
              doi: 10.3390/v17101322pubmed: 41157593google scholar: lookup
            11. Smith CH, Stewart HL, Stefanovski D, Levine DG. Outcomes following autologous tumor tissue implantation with or without concurrent antineoplastic therapies in the treatment of sarcoids in 50 equids. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1559519.
              doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1559519pubmed: 40417356google scholar: lookup
            12. Beermann A, Clottu O, Reif M, Biegel U, Unger L, Koch C. A randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded study comparing oral and subcutaneous administration of mistletoe extract for the treatment of equine sarcoid disease. J Vet Intern Med 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1815-1824.
              doi: 10.1111/jvim.17052pubmed: 38529853google scholar: lookup
            13. Peters-Kennedy J, Scott DW, Miller WH Jr. Apparent clinical resolution of pinnal actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma in a cat using topical imiquimod 5% cream. J Feline Med Surg 2008 Dec;10(6):593-9.
              doi: 10.1016/j.jfms.2008.02.002pubmed: 18417398google scholar: lookup
            Subscribe to our newsletter
            Join 99,850 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.