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 Four sarcoids were withdrawn from the study.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.
Publication Date: 2006-07-11 PubMed ID: 16827669DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2006.00526.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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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
Researcher Affiliations
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. nogu0005@umn.edu
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 9 times.- Jindra C, Hainisch EK, Brandt S. Immunotherapy of Equine Sarcoids-From Early Approaches to Innovative Vaccines.. Vaccines (Basel) 2023 Mar 30;11(4).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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