Equine Allergy Vaccine Update

Finding cures or highly effective treatment options for common equine ailments, such as laminitis, osteoarthritis, and asthma, would bring relief to any veterinarian or horse owner. In the case of equine asthma, veterinary researchers steadily advance upon this goal, providing hope and peace of mind for owners of affected animals.

“Our understanding of the underlying processes at a cellular level continues to improve every day. For example, we now know that interleukin-5 (IL-5) plays an important role in asthma. In fact, IL-5, a potent pro-inflammatory molecule, has recently been dubbed ‘the master regulator’ of eosinophil differentiation and activation*,” explained Laura Petroski-Rose, B.V.M.S, a Kentucky Equine Research veterinarian.

Under the command of IL-5, eosinophils cause inflammation in the lungs of many horses with asthma. Therefore, methods capable of effectively blocking IL-5 should also block the inflammatory effects of eosinophils. This explains why veterinarians and their research teams are looking towards creating vaccines that will bind to and block IL-5.

“This technology has been explored in other allergic conditions involving eosinophils and IL-5, including insect bite hypersensitivity,” noted Petroski-Rose.

While we await progress in this field, owners are encouraged to continue working closely with their veterinarian, yielding to the most up-to-date recommendations** for allergy avoidance. In the face of an asthma flare-up, appropriate use of corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, bronchodilators, and omega-3 fatty acids is warranted.

“Be certain to supplement with a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid product containing adequate amounts of both DHA and EPA. EO-3 delivers 6.750 mg of DHA and EPA in a liquid that is easily top-dressed onto feed,” Petroski-Rose recommended.

*Bachmann, M.F., A. El-Turabi, A. Fettelschoss-Gabriel, et al. 2018. The prospects of an active vaccine against asthma targeting IL-5. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9:2522.

**Couëtil, L.L., J.M. Cardwell, V. Gerber, et al. 2016. Inflammatory airway disease of horses—Revised consensus statement. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 30(2):503-515.