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Equine Asthma: From Pathogenesis to Therapy

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2027 | Viewed by 128

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
Interests: equine; microbiome; respiratory microbiota; diagnostic tools; biotechnology; treatment; precision medicine; inflammatory disease; exercise physiology; respiratory physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most horses will likely experience some form of airway inflammation during their life. As equine asthma is not only associated with reduced athletic performance but can also be detrimental to welfare, there is a need to collect, communicate, and promote fundamental and applied research on this highly prevalent respiratory disease.

The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Physiology and pathophysiology of equine asthma in horses;
  • Investigations into the impact of equine asthma on athletic performance;
  • Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of equine asthma, including precision medicine approaches;
  • The validation of new techniques and tools for assessing equine respiratory function, disease, and efficacy of treatments;
  • Whole-genome sequencing and respiratory microbiota investigations;
  • Epidemiology studies;
  • Antimicrobial stewardship in equine asthma.

Dr. Stephanie L. Bond
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • equine
  • microbiome
  • respiratory microbiota
  • diagnostic tools
  • biotechnology
  • treatment
  • precision medicine
  • equine asthma
  • heaves
  • inflammatory airway disease
  • mild equine asthma
  • severe equine asthma

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

17 pages, 715 KB  
Review
Neuroimmune Mechanisms in Equine Asthma: Primary Inflammatory Triggers, Neuroimmune Modulation and Chronic Airway Remodelling
by Małgorzata Wierzbicka, Aleksandra Samsel and Marta Siemieniuch-Tartanus
Animals 2026, 16(12), 1832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16121832 (registering DOI) - 14 Jun 2026
Abstract
Equine asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract, primarily associated with inhalation of organic dust, microbial particles and environmental aeroantigens. Although the inflammatory and immunological mechanisms underlying equine asthma have been extensively investigated, the potential contribution of neuroimmune pathways [...] Read more.
Equine asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract, primarily associated with inhalation of organic dust, microbial particles and environmental aeroantigens. Although the inflammatory and immunological mechanisms underlying equine asthma have been extensively investigated, the potential contribution of neuroimmune pathways remains poorly understood. In humans and rodent models, asthma is increasingly recognised as a disorder involving complex bidirectional interactions between the nervous and immune systems. Sensory nerve activation, neuropeptide release, autonomic dysregulation and neuronal remodelling contribute to bronchoconstriction, airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus hypersecretion and chronic airway remodelling. This review summarises current knowledge of the neuroimmune mechanisms involved in asthma, with particular emphasis on comparative aspects across humans, rodents and horses. Literature searches were conducted using the PubMed database, focusing on studies investigating neurogenic inflammation, airway innervation, neuropeptides, transient receptor potential channels and neuronal remodelling in asthma and chronic airway disease. Existing equine evidence indicates the presence of substance P- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive nerve fibres in the equine airways, increased neurokinin-mediated bronchoconstriction in severe equine asthma, and enhanced airway innervation in affected horses. However, compared with human and rodent studies, horse-specific data remain extremely limited. Current evidence suggests that neuroimmune pathways are unlikely to be the primary initiating mechanism of equine asthma, but may act as important modulators of chronic airway dysfunction and disease progression. The marked scarcity of equine studies investigating neuroimmune signalling represents a major knowledge gap and highlights an important direction for future research in equine respiratory medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equine Asthma: From Pathogenesis to Therapy)
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