Baker Institute Hosts First of 10 Landmark Workshops to Speed Advances in Equine Medicine

July 18, 2003

Equine scientists from around the world gathered to discuss recent findings in equine genomics and immunology and methods for collaboration to move the science forward with greater speed and power. Potential applications to the horse industry are numerous, eventually providing veterinarians access to accurate diagnostic tools, the ability to evaluate effectiveness of vaccinations, and even informing breeding decisions.

The workshop, held at the Baker Institute for Animal Health at Cornell University (June 19-21, 2003) and funded by the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, Inc., brought together top minds involved in both the Horse Genome Project and equine immunology to develop a roadmap for collaboration, including: the scientific tools that are needed, the skills that each laboratory can contribute to the group, and existing technologies that can be shared to advance the research.

"By combining forces to study the vexing health issues before us, we can tackle complex concerns and hopefully resolve them quickly for the betterment of the horse,"said Baker Institute Director Dr. Douglas Antczak. "That is the primary goal of the Havemeyer Foundation and the Baker Institute in creating these workshops."

The Equine Immunology Workshop group assembled in recognition of the need to develop methods to understand genetic influences on immune function. (The group is comprised of basic scientists and veterinary clinicians whose individual research programs have made them leaders in their respective sub-disciplines.)

There are many urgent needs for this information, but none more pressing than in the area of infectious diseases. The horse is either the primary or secondary host of several viruses that cause severe disease and sometimes death in horses. The list of agents includes Equine Influenza Virus, Equine Herpes Viruses, West Nile Virus, African Horsesickness Virus, Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Viruses, Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, Equine Arteritis Virus, Equine Infectious Anemia Virus, and Equine Morbillivirus (Hendra Virus).

These viruses represent a tremendous threat to the multi-billion dollar equine industry worldwide. The movement of horses between Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Austral-Asia has increased rapidly in recent years, and shows no signs of slowing. This trend reinforces the need for scientists to work together to combat infectious diseases of the horse on a global basis.

"The importance of convening an international group to discuss ways to advance immunological knowledge of the horse is critical," said Dr. Julia Kydd, a research scientist with the Animal Health Trust in England. "This type of scientific exchange is particularly useful in today's global market so that breeders and enthusiasts around the world have access to practical information to help ensure the health and well-being of their animals."

The Equine Immunology Workshop group made firm commitments to collaborate to produce new scientific tools such as molecular- and protein-based reagents, and to make them widely available in the scientific community. The group also developed a prioritized list of reagents for immediate attention. The proposed new reagents will allow better assessment of the immune response required to evaluate protective immunity induced by new and existing vaccines, and by natural infection.

"The research strides we are making in the laboratory today, in particular our studies in immunology, will have important applications to equine medicine as we go forward," said Dr. Wolfgang Leibold, professor in the Immunology Unit at the Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine in Germany. "Once we develop a test that identifies the cause of an undesirable immune response in the horse, we can use that test to confirm the condition, inform the veterinarian what treatments will bring relief, and advise how long or how much of the treatment is needed."

A group of nearly 40 scientists from 11 states and six countries gathered for the weekend. Included among the participants was Dr. Ernest Bailey with the M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, who spoke on the Horse Genome Project and future directions for the international collaborative established in 1995.

"We need a gene map of the horse to answer questions related to our immunological studies of the horse," said Dr. Bailey. "A comprehensive linkage map will enable scientists to target areas of the genome to focus their research, ultimately assisting with the creation of genetic tests and other major advances in the development of new treatments for equine diseases."

Diagnostic tests for several common genetically determined diseases of the horse are available now as a result of information from the Horse Genome Project. "Because of the wealth of information available from the Horse Genome Project, genetics will have an overriding influence on all aspects of equine research," said Dr. Antczak. "We are pleased to serve as the host site for this workshop to discuss the application of new information available from gene sequencing to address important disease problems found in the equine species."

This was the first of 10 planned workshops to be hosted by the Baker Institute and the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, Inc. Each year scientists will convene to discuss ways to advance equine research to address many areas of horse health, including immunology and genetics.

For more information regarding the Havemeyer Workshop and the science of equine genomics, visit http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/Havemeyer/

Related World Wide Web sites: The following sites provide additional information on this news release. Some might not be part of the Cornell University community, and Cornell has no control over their content or availability.

o Equine Genetics at Baker Institute for Animal Health: http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/research/antczak/r_idi_antczak.htm

o Equine Genetics Information from Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of California at Davis: http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/~lvmillon/

o Equine Genetics and Evolution Research Information Network: http://www.ex.ac.uk/equinet/

o Horse Genome Project, University of Kentucky: http://www.uky.edu/AG/horsemap/