Severe Equine Asthma is a common disease of adult horses with limited therapeutic options. In our research project ‘Antigen identification and characterization of adaptive immune responses in severe Equine Asthma’ we analyze which molecules provoke it and how the immune system reacts in affected horses to lead to the disease.

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Horses can suffer from severe Equine Asthma. The Emmy Noether Research Group analyses causative antigens and immune responses. Photo: Colourbox

Severe eqine Asthma

Severe Equine Asthma (also called recurrent airway obstruction, RAO) is an immune-mediated and therapeutically challenging disease in adult horses. In affected horses, hay dust triggers respiratory symptoms. Recurrent episodes of coughing, dyspnoea and/or nasal discharge and performance insufficiency occur. Due to the lack of knowledge of the exact triggering molecules and the immune response of horses in the pathogenesis of severe equine asthma, no causal therapy is currently available (1-3).

In our research project ‘Antigen identification and characterization of adaptive immune responses in severe Equine Asthma’ we analyze which molecules provoke it and how the immune system reacts in affected horses to lead to the disease.

References:

(1) Couëtil, L L, J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2016; 30: 503–514

(2) Pirie R S, Equine Vet. J. 2014; 46: 276–288

(3) Bullone M, Mol. Immunol. 2015; 66: 97–105

 

 

Research Project: Antigen identification and characterization of adaptive immune responses in severe Equine Asthma

 

A better understanding of critical B and T cell immunity is required, and causative antigens need to be identified on a molecular basis to elucidate the pathogenesis of severe Equine Asthma (sEA).
Accordingly, our first aim is to define disease-relevant antigens. These will be analysed by immune proteomics. Antibody (immunoglobulin, Ig) isotype binding patterns on two-dimensional immunoblots will be compared between samples (serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, BALF) from asthmatic horses and healthy controls.
Furthermore, we aim to characterize adaptive immunity in sEA. As indicators of the horses’ B cell responses antigen-specific Ig isotypes will be analysed. Moreover, new assays of the cellular immune response will be developed.
The attempted characterization of specific immune responses can enable future immunotherapies of sEA.

 

Proposed and approved projects:

DFG:

  • "Antigen identification and charakterization of adaptive immunity in severe equine asthma" (Projekt: SCHN 1602/1-1)

Publications:

 

Cooperations:

VMF

BBZ

external

 

Persons involved:

Dr. Christiane Schnabel

Maria-Christin Jentsch

Sabrina Lübke

Alumni:

 

 

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