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Advances in wound care2019; 10(7); 381-399; doi: 10.1089/wound.2018.0883

The Horse as a Model for the Study of Cutaneous Wound Healing.

Abstract: Significance: Cutaneous wounds are a major problem in both human and equine medicine. The economic cost of treating skin wounds and related complications in humans and horses is high, and in both species, particular types of chronic wounds do not respond well to current therapies, leading to suffering and morbidity. Recent Advances: Conventional methods for the treatment of cutaneous wounds are generic and have not changed significantly in decades. However, as more is learned about the mechanisms involved in normal skin wound healing, and how failure of these processes leads to chronic nonhealing wounds, novel therapies targeting the specific pathologies of hard-to-heal wounds are being developed and evaluated. Critical Issues: Physiologically relevant animal models are needed to (1) study the mechanisms involved in normal and impaired skin wound healing and (2) test newly developed therapies. Future Directions: Similarities in normal wound healing in humans and horses, and the natural development of distinct types of hard-to-heal chronic wounds in both species, make the horse a physiologically relevant model for the study of mechanisms involved in wound repair. Horses are also well-suited models to test novel therapies. In addition, studies in horses have the potential to benefit veterinary, as well as human medicine.
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Publication Date: 2019-03-20 PubMed ID: 34042536DOI: 10.1089/wound.2018.0883Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support
  • U.S. Gov't
  • Non-P.H.S.

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.

The research article explores the horse as a potential model for studying cutaneous wound healing due to similarities in wound healing processes in humans and horses and the development of certain types of chronic wounds in both species.

Introduction to Cutaneous Wound Healing

  • The article starts by asserting cutaneous wounds are not only a significant medical challenge in humans, but also in horses. The cost of treating these injuries and related complications are high for both species.
  • Certain types of chronic wounds in both species are resistant to current treatment approaches, causing distress and disease.
  • The conventional treatment methods for skin wounds haven’t seen significant changes for several decades.

The Necessity for New Therapies & Models

  • Recent discoveries centered around normal skin wound healing mechanisms and contributors to chronic non-healing wounds have spearheaded the development of novel therapies specifically targeting these hard-to-heal wounds.
  • For studying the mechanics of normal and impaired skin wound healing and for testing the effectiveness of the newly developed therapies, physiologically relevant animal models are required.

Proposing the Horse as a Model

  • The research highlights the horse as a potential model for these studies due to the physiological similarities between humans and horses when it comes to normal wound healing.
  • Horses also naturally develop challenging, hard-to-heal chronic wounds similar to those observed in humans, strengthening their potential as a model.
  • Moreover, horses are well-suited candidates for testing these novel therapies.

Benefits to Veterinary and Human Medicine

  • The study also suggests that this line of research has the potential to benefit not only human medicine but also veterinary medicine, creating a dual advantage.

Cite This Article

APA
Harman RM, Theoret CL, Van de Walle GR. (2019). The Horse as a Model for the Study of Cutaneous Wound Healing. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle), 10(7), 381-399. https://doi.org/10.1089/wound.2018.0883

Publication

Advances in wound care
ISSN: 2162-1918
NlmUniqueID: 101590593
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: 381-399

Researcher Affiliations

Harman, Rebecca M
  • Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Theoret, Christine L
  • Department of Veterinary Biomedicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Van de Walle, Gerlinde R
  • Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Models, Animal
  • Skin / pathology
  • Wound Healing / physiology
  • Wound Infection / therapy

Citations

This article has been cited 15 times.
  1. Repciuc CC, Oros NV, Mureșan ȘMC, Sevastre B, Joaquim JGF, Oana LI. Efficacy of Ozone Bagging Therapy in Equine Chronic Distal Limb Wounds: Clinical Evaluation of Eight Cases. Vet Sci 2025 Dec 23;13(1).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci13010016pubmed: 41600672google scholar: lookup
  2. Vicetti Miguel RD, Liu M, Campion GJ, Cherpes TL. Hypothesis: Ephrin-Eph Signaling Pathways Provide Novel Targets for Accelerated Re-Epithelialization of Cutaneous Wounds. Bioessays 2026 Jan;48(1):e70088.
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    doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf119pubmed: 41169229google scholar: lookup
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    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12080756pubmed: 40872708google scholar: lookup
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    doi: 10.3390/gels11050328pubmed: 40422348google scholar: lookup
  6. Campebell RC, Oliveira AB, Fagundes JLA, Fortes BNA, Veado HC, Macedo IL, Dallago BSL, Barud HS, Adorno J, Salvador PAV, Santos PS, Castro MB. Evaluation of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate-Based Hydrogel and Frog Skin Dressings in Equine Skin Wound Healing. Gels 2025 Feb 3;11(2).
    doi: 10.3390/gels11020107pubmed: 39996650google scholar: lookup
  7. Finding EJT, Faulkner A, Nash L, Wheeler-Jones CPD. Equine Endothelial Cells Show Pro-Angiogenic Behaviours in Response to Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 but Not Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A. Int J Mol Sci 2024 May 30;25(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms25116017pubmed: 38892205google scholar: lookup
  8. Labens R, Raidal S, Borgen-Nielsen C, Pyecroft S, Pant SD, De Ridder T. Wound healing of experimental equine skin wounds and concurrent microbiota in wound dressings following topical propylene glycol gel treatment. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1294021.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1294021pubmed: 38155761google scholar: lookup
  9. Wei J, Zhang W, Li J, Jin Y, Qiu Z. Application of the transgenic pig model in biomedical research: A review. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022;10:1031812.
    doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1031812pubmed: 36325365google scholar: lookup
  10. Jørgensen E, Bjarnsholt T, Jacobsen S. Biofilm and Equine Limb Wounds. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 27;11(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11102825pubmed: 34679846google scholar: lookup
  11. Marx C, Gardner S, Harman RM, Wagner B, Van de Walle GR. Mesenchymal stromal cell-secreted CCL2 promotes antibacterial defense mechanisms through increased antimicrobial peptide expression in keratinocytes. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021 Dec;10(12):1666-1679.
    doi: 10.1002/sctm.21-0058pubmed: 34528765google scholar: lookup
  12. Harman RM, Marx C, Van de Walle GR. Translational Animal Models Provide Insight Into Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Secretome Therapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021;9:654885.
    doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.654885pubmed: 33869217google scholar: lookup
  13. Kornicka-Garbowska K, Bourebaba L, Röcken M, Marycz K. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) Mitigates ER Stress in Hepatocytes In Vitro and Ex Vivo. Cells 2021 Mar 30;10(4).
    doi: 10.3390/cells10040755pubmed: 33808055google scholar: lookup
  14. Harman RM, Patel RS, Fan JC, Park JE, Rosenberg BR, Van de Walle GR. Single-cell RNA sequencing of equine mesenchymal stromal cells from primary donor-matched tissue sources reveals functional heterogeneity in immune modulation and cell motility. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020 Dec 4;11(1):524.
    doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-02043-5pubmed: 33276815google scholar: lookup
  15. Marx C, Gardner S, Harman RM, Van de Walle GR. The mesenchymal stromal cell secretome impairs methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms via cysteine protease activity in the equine model. Stem Cells Transl Med 2020 Jul;9(7):746-757.
    doi: 10.1002/sctm.19-0333pubmed: 32216094google scholar: lookup
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