Scientists offer new hope on sarcoids

By Justine Thompson

General news

25 January 2010 12:19

Scientists have succeeded in killing the equine sarcoid virus in a lab setting and now hope to extend the research to live animals.

In a project funded by The Horse Trust, the researchers killed equine sarcoid cells in vitro by silencing a gene in the virus that causes sarcoids.

The researchers now hope to obtain funding for clinical trials using the new technique, which could result in a more effective, non-toxic treatment for sarcoids.

Sarcoids are skin tumours caused by infection with the Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV). They are the most common type of tumour found in horses - the estimated prevalence in the UK is 6-7%.

Although the disease is rarely life threatening, many horses with sarcoids are put down because the condition is untreatable or because the horse is unsellable.

Currently there is no universally effective treatment for sarcoids and if treatment fails the sarcoids will often come back worse.

But research that was given funding by The Horse Trust offers a potential ray of hope for owners of horses affected by sarcoids.

The research, which was led by Professor Lubna Nasir of the University of Glasgow, found that by inhibiting the activity of a particular viral protein within sarcoid cells, the amount of viral DNA in the cells reduced.

This led to a reduction in the growth of the sarcoid cells and caused the cell to die by Programmed cell-death (PCD). The researchers believe that PCD occurs because the sarcoid cells become reliant on the virus.

"This could potentially be a major breakthrough in the treatment of sarcoids," said Professor Lubna Nasir. "We are now seeking funding to use this technique in clinical trials on horses that have sarcoids."

"We are really excited that the research we have funded could lead to a major breakthrough in the treatment of sarcoids," said Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust.