Allergic disease in horses - profiling of immune cells for improved therapeutic opportunities

Equine asthma (EA) and insect-bite hypersensitivity (IBH) are common allergic diseases in horses causing serious health issues and poor welfare.

In EA and IBH, the chronic lung- or skin inflammation can lead to breathing difficulties and poor performance in EA, or intense itching and open wounds in IBH. Treatment options are limited and there is a need to clarify the major disease mechanisms.

Here, we will use single cell RNA sequencing to profile the gene expression of individual immune cells in skin from horses with IBH. This analysis will provide a comprehensive map of the cellular environment and expression profile in IBH.

Mast cells are immune cells that contribute in several ways to chronic allergic diseases in humans, but a corresponding role in horses is not yet established. To close this gap, we aim to characterize equine mast cells under normal and allergic conditions.

Mast cells will be isolated from skin and lungs by an in house-developed purification method and their gene expression will be analysed by quantitative RNA sequencing.

The functional properties of mast cells in airways, lungs and skin will be analysed by measuring their response to activation by allergens and other stimuli. This will uncover unique phenotypes and functions of equine mast cells.

Altogether, the findings from this proposal could reveal crucial cellular and molecular pathways in EA and IBH of horses, which could be targeted in future strategies for improved diagnosis and treatments.