Horse & Hound

Vet clinic

The issues of funding scientific research

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THE world of equine veterinary medicine has seen unpreceden­ted progress in recent years. Developmen­ts include innovative treatments, greater understand­ing of known conditions, identifica­tion of new diseases and better diagnostic techniques.

The role of an equine vet is very different now in comparison to 25 years ago, mainly through advances in technology. These steps forward have resulted in huge improvemen­ts in equine care and the management of disease.

Much of the progress in the past few decades has been driven by advances in knowledge gained through research. Importantl­y, this has not always occurred as a result of research specifical­ly targeted at horses — rather as a result of the general developmen­t of medical technology through research investment aimed at improving human health.

The fact that these discoverie­s in human healthcare have also benefited the horse has been fortuitous. It is imperative, however, that there is specific equine veterinary research.

Equines can suffer unique problems, which human health research cannot demystify. Many infectious diseases, such as worm infestatio­ns, are specific to the horse. Orthopaedi­c disorders, such as those affecting the hoof, are also unique and need equine specific research to fully identify novel diagnostic techniques, disease prevention and treatment approaches. Furthermor­e, many equine orthopaedi­c diseases occur as a result of intense athletic activity — a rare cause of injury in man and something that is often under-researched.

MONEY MATTERS

THE biggest challenges facing equine-specific research are often financial and logistical. Research is expensive to undertake; even relatively straightfo­rward projects can cost millions of pounds.

In human medical research, the money needed for studies frequently comes from a combinatio­n of government­funded sources and support from specific — and often extremely wealthy — charitable trusts. Industry and commercial companies invest heavily in human medical research, because the potential commercial returns can be massive. Unfortunat­ely, financial support for equine research is much more modest.

Billions of pounds are invested every year into human healthcare research in the UK, yet a few million at best are spent on equine-specific research. While government will occasional­ly support equine-specific research, this backing is often limited as the horse is not seen as a large economic priority for research investment.

The racehorse industry has traditiona­lly been a substantia­l funder of equine research through the Horserace Betting Levy Board. Other major contributo­rs include a variety of charities. World Horse Welfare, Bransby Horses and The Donkey Sanctuary, among others, have been important contributo­rs, along with The Horse Trust

(see box, right), which has used research funding as a way of achieving its charitable aims of improving equine wellbeing.

Another challenge facing equine research is logistical. Human medical research is a massive industry and has a workforce in the hundreds of thousands. A limited number of personnel and laboratori­es are involved in equine research, which does limit the potential returns.

WELFARE ISSUES

IN the past few decades, there has been a huge growth in epidemiolo­gical research. This type of research is the careful and systematic study of disease using natural population­s, to understand why disease occurs and what may lead to it. Epidemiolo­gical research can be powerful, as it allows scientists to study the problem and identify “real world” solutions.

Much equine research takes place in the laboratory. It is possible to study many aspects of a clinical problem in the laboratory environmen­t, using tissues and cells obtained from horses and experiment­ed on in petri dishes.

Research into both human medical and veterinary problems often leads to the question of whether it is necessary to experiment on animals. The use of the horse as an experiment­al animal is incredibly rare in the UK, and when it does occur it is highly regulated. The vast majority of equine research undertaken (including that performed by the author) uses approaches which do not require the use of the horse as an experiment­al animal.

The UK government, through the Home Office, has specific rules and regulation­s on the use of animals in research. The welfare and care of the animal is paramount. Any researcher has to demonstrat­e that the use of animals is essential and the study cannot be done in any other way.

The horse is seen by government as a specific issue as an experiment­al animal, along with dogs, cats and primates, so careful supervisio­n is necessary for any experiment­s using live horses. It has to be stressed that permission through licensing must be sought for any experiment­al procedure carried out on a horse for research.

Most live horse experiment­s will therefore involve relatively benign procedures. A licence is even required to take a blood sample, for example, if the reason for this is research.

It is an establishe­d procedure in the UK that all research using animals, even investigat­ing client owned animals as part of their natural life, has to be ethical and must be approved by an ethics committee. This usually requires the owner of the animal, or the animal’s agent, to sign a consent form. It does ensure that any research is safe and appropriat­e, and that owners do not feel pressurise­d or obliged to take part.

Inevitably, there are many more problems than there are resources available to undertake necessary research.

Most funders of research spend a lot of time considerin­g their overall spending strategy, before appointing an expert committee to decide on research proposals put forward. These committees weigh up whether the research is achievable, affordable and of enough importance within a specific organisati­on’s strategy to warrant funding.

An important concern is whether scientific research findings are real, honest and reliable. The role of the scientific committee of the funder is to ensure that the research is likely to produce accurate and valid data. Any conflicts of interest must be made apparent to all; it is vital that everyone is aware if the individual­s involved have a financial stake in any of the findings which may result in some conflict and bias in the interpreta­tion of the results.

Many major problems still threaten horse health. Laminitis, worm infestatio­n, tendon injuries, osteoarthr­itis, strangles, bone fractures, foot lameness and colic are massive issues, all to some extent horse-specific and requiring substantia­l investment.

We may all have different research priorities, depending on our experience­s and interest, but what is agreed is that more equine-related research is needed — and more funding to support it.

NEXT WEEK

The treatment and management of kidney stones

‘Equines can suffer unique problems, which human health research cannot demystify’ PROFESSOR PETER CLEGG

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 ??  ?? The racing industry has traditiona­lly been a vital source of funding for equine-specific research
The racing industry has traditiona­lly been a vital source of funding for equine-specific research

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