The equine immune responses to infectious and allergic disease: a model for humans?
Abstract: The modern horse, Equus caballus has historically made important contributions to the field of immunology, dating back to Emil von Behring's description of curative antibodies in equine serum over a century ago. While the horse continues to play an important role in human serotherapy, the mouse has replaced the horse as the predominant experimental animal in immunology research. Nevertheless, continuing efforts have led to an improved understanding of the equine immune response in a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on this information, we can begin to identify specific situations where the horse may provide a unique immunological model for certain human diseases.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2014-10-22 PubMed ID: 25457878DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2014.09.020Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article explores how the horse’s immune response to both infectious and allergic diseases may provide important insights into analogous human immune responses and disease processes.
Background
- The article begins by discussing the historical relevance of horses in immunology research, highlighting the discovery of therapeutic antibodies in horse serum by Emil Von Behring more than 100 years ago.
- It notes that, in more recent times, horses have been largely superseded by mice as the primary animal subjects in immunological studies primarily due to logistical convenience and the availability of robust genetic manipulations techniques in mice.
Continuing Research on Equine Immunology
- The paper acknowledges that, despite the shift to predominantly mouse-based studies, ongoing research continues to elucidate the dynamics of the horse immune system, particularly in response to various infectious and non-infectious diseases.
- Such research is leading to a better understanding of equine immunity, and how it can contribute to human immunology.
Equine Immunology as a Model for Human Diseases
- The study’s main argument is that the characteristics of equine immune responses may offer valuable insight into equivalent responses in humans.
- By closely studying equine immunity, researchers can potentially identify specific conditions where the horse’s response mirrors or approximates the human immune reaction, offering a valuable ‘model’ for further understanding these diseases in humans.
- The objective of this research includes not only model identification, but also designing relevant therapeutic interventions.
Conclusion
- The article posits that while the horse may no longer be the central model for immunological studies, it still has the potential to contribute greatly to our understanding of human disease and immunity.
- Stacking up the parallels between equine and human immunological responses could offer new avenues for medical research.
Cite This Article
APA
Horohov DW.
(2014).
The equine immune responses to infectious and allergic disease: a model for humans?
Mol Immunol, 66(1), 89-96.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2014.09.020 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Jes E. and Clementine Schlaikjer Chair in Equine Immunology, Maxwell Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0099, United States. Electronic address: DWHoro2@uky.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Disease Models, Animal
- Horses / immunology
- Humans
- Hypersensitivity / immunology
- Infections / immunology
- Mice
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Simonin EM, Wagner B. IgE-binding monocytes upregulate the coagulation cascade in allergic horses.. Genes Immun 2023 Jun;24(3):130-138.
- Barrachina L, Arshaghi TE, O'Brien A, Ivanovska A, Barry F. Induced pluripotent stem cells in companion animals: how can we move the field forward?. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1176772.
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- Hoffmann ALC, Hauck SM, Deeg CA, Degroote RL. Pre-Activated Granulocytes from an Autoimmune Uveitis Model Show Divergent Pathway Activation Profiles upon IL8 Stimulation In Vitro.. Int J Mol Sci 2022 Aug 23;23(17).
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