Horses
Finding Hope in the Dark: Appaloosas Shining a Light on Human Night Blindness
Scientists found that people who have night blindness also have proteins that do not function properly, and fail to send electrical images from the rods to the brain. This connection between night blindness in horses and humans gives us the opportunity to further investigate the cause of CSNB and how we can treat it in both humans and animals.
Horses, Hounds, and Research Highlights: An Interview With Dr. Lance Perryman
Basset Hounds may replace the Arabian horse model for SCID research in children. The main reason is that the Hounds have the gene defect that’s most commonly involved with SCID in children. Simply put, the defect matches up, and this is important when considering potential animal models. Besides the fact that Hounds are genetically similar to children in terms of the gene that expresses SCID, they also cost less to feed, have shorter gestation periods, and produce more offspring per year than Arabian horses.
Unraveling the Arabian Horse’s Role in SCID Research
Not only is the Arabian horse a non-rodent, large animal that can be used to enhance our understanding of the hematopoietic system, but its susceptibility to SCID and its long life span also make it optimal for SCID research. Since adverse events (such as the development of leukemia) can unfortunately arise in bone marrow treatment for SCID, this non-traditional research model can be used to test the efficacy and safety of alternative therapies, like gene therapy and stem cell transplantation, before being clinically implemented in humans.