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UC Davis Researchers Identify Genetic Variant For Fatal Condition In Thoroughbreds

Researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a genetic cause for the fatal condition equine familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (EFIH) in Thoroughbreds, marking the first genetic variant for hypoparathyroidism identified in any domestic animal species. Additionally, this is the first widely available genetic test for Thoroughbreds.

The study, led by Drs. Carrie Finno and Gary Magdesian, which was reported in the journal PLoS Genetics. Genetic testing can now be performed at the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory to identify horses with the variant and avoid mating carriers that could produce affected foals.

“For Thoroughbred owners and breeders, the loss of a foal has tremendous economic and emotional impacts,” says first author Victor Rivas, who conducted the project as part of his undergraduate training in Finno's laboratory. “It is important to promote safe and strategic breeding habits by actively breeding horses genetically screened not only for EFIH, but for other diseases that may impact quality of life.”

Foals affected with EFIH suffer from low blood calcium concentrations, resulting in involuntary muscle contractions, muscle stiffness that leads to a stiff gait and can progress to an inability to stand, seizures, fevers, and an abnormally fast pulse. Parathyroid hormone is typically produced to increase calcium levels in the body, but in these foals, concentrations are low or “inappropriately” normal (i.e. they should be high due to the low calcium). Affected foals die or are euthanized due to poor prognosis. Necropsy results reveal underdeveloped or absent parathyroid glands.

Previously termed idiopathic hypocalcemia, EFIH has been observed in Thoroughbred foals up to 35 days of age. Disease onset and progression are likely determined by the amount of calcium in the diet early in life. This can vary based on dam milk calcium concentration and the amount of milk ingested.

The current study determined an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance and performed whole genome sequencing of two affected foals. A mutation in the rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 5 (RAPGEF5) gene was present in two copies (homozygous) in both foals. The variant was further analyzed in a frog developmental model and demonstrated loss-of-function of the RAPGEF5 protein leading to aberrant development. Based on this data, the researchers hypothesize that RAPGEF5 may play a role in the derivation of the parathyroid gland during development.

The variant was not identified in individuals from 12 other breeds. The allele frequency for the RAPGEF5 variant in an expanded set of 82 randomly selected, unaffected Thoroughbreds was 0.018. An unbiased allele frequency study has not been performed, so the allele frequency in the larger Thoroughbred population is currently unknown.

“The next steps are to assess the allele frequency in a large population of randomly selected Thoroughbreds,” says Finno. “Additionally, we have discussed collaborating with Dr. Nathan Slovis at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky to test for the variant in cases of 'sudden death' in Thoroughbred foals.”

The clinical presentation of EFIH is similar to human familial hypoparathyroidism. Since the RAPGEF5 gene is highly conserved across species, it is a potential new candidate gene for primary hypoparathyroidism in humans.

“This type of research discovery requires a unique collaboration between clinicians, pathologists and basic researchers,” says Finno. “We were incredibly fortunate to have samples submitted from Drs. Slovis, Daniella Leuthy (University of Pennsylvania) and Laura Javsicas (Rhinebeck Equine) and the expertise of Drs. Brian Caserto (VetPath services) and Andrew Miller (Cornell University). Additionally, the 'proof' of functional results of this genetic mutation would not have been possible without our collaborator from Yale University, Dr. Mustafa Khohka.”

Support for this study was provided by the UC Davis Center for Equine Health.

UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Department Aiming To Raise $500 Million, Build New Hospital In New Fundraising Campaign

The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis is taking one of the lead roles in the university's new $2 billion fundraising campaign, “Expect Greater: From UC Davis, For the World.” This marks the largest philanthropic endeavor in the university's history, and the school's 25% portion of the goal is also its largest fundraising challenge. This bold goal will help create the future Veterinary Medical Center, where clinical innovation, transformational research, and compassionate healing come together.

The school's portion of the $2 billion goal includes a decade-long campaign to raise more than $500 million to create a new veterinary hospital that sets the gold standard of care while defining advanced clinical research and education. The school's existing Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital opened in 1970 and was built to see 3,000 patients per year. While there have been additions to the facility over the years—increasing the square footage by about 60%—the hospital's caseload has increased more than 1,600% to more than 50,000 cases per year.

“This caseload increase is stretching our personnel and resources to an extreme extent,” said Dr. Karl Jandrey, associate dean of Admissions and Student Programs and a critical care specialist in the hospital's Emergency Room. “Our large and diverse caseload provides a tremendous learning environment for our students and house officers, but we have to ensure those opportunities are not jeopardized by the limited footprint in which we train them.”

“It is clear that a new hospital is necessary,” said Dean Michael Lairmore. “This campaign, led by donations from our community partners, will enable us to envision a new standard of excellence in veterinary medicine, innovation, and discovery.”

The “Expect Greater” campaign will harness the power of philanthropy to propel the school—already the #1 ranked veterinary school in the world—into a level of veterinary care, research, and advancement that meets the challenges of an increasing caseload; that allows for the adoption of the latest technology in veterinary medicine; and that provides the infrastructure and efficient services to facilitate translational research and breakthroughs.

“Expect Greater” launches at a time of growing philanthropic momentum at UC Davis – the last four years have been the strongest for fundraising in its history. Since the campaign's quiet phase began in July 2016, the university's closest donors and friends have given $1.2 billion toward the goal, with more than $250 million of that raised by the veterinary school. Now UC Davis is reaching out to the entire university community and beyond to help make a greater impact on the world.

Expertise for California and the World

As the global leader in veterinary medicine, UC Davis leads the way in research, innovation, and clinical care breakthroughs. The school is at the forefront of serving California's animals, especially in times of great need.

With the state in turmoil caused by raging wildfires and a global pandemic outbreak, the hospital has remained open to serve animal owners. In just the past two months alone, the school's Veterinary Emergency Response Team has treated thousands of animals at evacuation centers and performed search and rescue missions in the fire zones, while the hospital has treated dozens of some of the most critically burned animals. Additionally, the school recently created the Wildlife Disaster Network to care for wildlife affected by wildfires and other disasters.

Beyond the creation of the Veterinary Medical Center, fundraising efforts will focus on supporting students financially. UC Davis is already a leader in scholarship support, helping to make it the veterinary school with the third-least median debt for its graduates. Low debt makes it easier for new veterinarians to choose options that further benefit society, such as going into public service or pursuing research careers or medical specialties.

The school is also raising efforts to create endowed chairs and professorships, demonstrating support for the diverse, world-class faculty who make UC Davis a premier research and clinical institution. These positions enable the school to recruit and retain the world's top minds in veterinary medicine – faculty who will have the sustained funding to maximize their impact, all while teaching the next generation of veterinarians and veterinary specialists.

Donors are also supporting research and the work of the school's centers and institutes. For example, with a One Health approach to medicine, the university conducts groundbreaking research at the nexus of animal and human medicine – the focus of the school's One Health Institute. With donor support, UC Davis veterinarians and physicians routinely collaborate on research and clinical care projects that cross veterinary and human medicine boundaries to advance the health of both humans and animals.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, veterinary and human health researchers quickly began collaborating on diagnostic and vaccine testing. Meanwhile, PREDICT—One Health Institute's pandemic prevention and response program—is part of an international effort to provide emergency support to collaborating countries in response to coronavirus spread.

The “Expect Greater” campaign will strengthen all of these entities and help UC Davis continue its One Health mission of advancing the health of animals, humans, and the environment.

Future Veterinary Medical Center Goals

Inspired by UC Davis clients' devotion to their animals, the future Veterinary Medical Center will push the limits of veterinary medicine to increase knowledge and provide optimal care. School leadership envisions a comprehensive center for veterinary medicine unlike any in the world: a center of healing where clients trust that their beloved animals will be treated with unparalleled expertise and compassion; a center of innovation where clinicians, scholars, and students collaborate in integrated teams to advance the health of animals, people, and the environment; and a center of discovery where transformational research breaks new ground in areas from stem cell therapies to food safety.

The multi-phased Veterinary Medical Center campaign commenced over the past two years with several Phase I renovation projects in the hospital—including six new examination rooms, a feline-only suite, laundry and support facilities, locker rooms, and restrooms—and the construction of a new Large Animal Support Facility.

In 2021, the school looks to continue Phase I with commencing construction of the All Species Imaging Center, where the world's largest veterinary radiology team will diagnose patients, and train students and residents with the most advanced imaging technologies in medicine – including CTs, MRIs, and PET scanners.

Greater in scope than any previous school expansion, the Veterinary Medical Center campaign will then focus on transforming the Large Animal Clinic into three distinct treatment areas – the Livestock and Field Services Center, the Equine Surgery and Critical Care Center, and the Equine Performance Center.

“The equine specialists at UC Davis have provided the very best care to so many horses, including our own,” stated long-time clients and donors Robert and Colleen Haas. “The Equine Performance Center will take their capacity for assessment, treatment, and clinical research to an even higher level and will be a tremendous resource to horse owners everywhere.”

Plans for an entirely updated Small Animal Hospital will be the final phase of the decade-long project, coming in the late 2020s and more than doubling the size of the current clinical space for small animals.

To learn more about the Veterinary Medical Center, please see the campaign website.

The post UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Department Aiming To Raise $500 Million, Build New Hospital In New Fundraising Campaign appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Are Krone and Peterson an Unbeatable Team?

From the TDN LOOK

Passion is a funny thing.

What is it, you wonder, about one place or another, one person or another, one career or another that is so compelling that the person caught in its grip will do anything to have it?

Ferrin Peterson can’t exactly tell you why she will at least temporarily put aside the eight years of study and sacrifice that earned her a veterinary degree from UC Davis, one of the top schools in the country, and a lucrative-and safe-career as a large-animal vet. Nor can she say why she’s willing to let her acupuncture skills and certification lie dormant, for now.

All she knows is this: “I’m following my passion.”

That alone would be an interesting story: girl sets aside career as a veterinarian to pursue her dream of being a jockey. But Peterson took the interest in her choice to a new level when she hired Julie Krone to be her agent, and announced that they would get their start together at Krone’s old stomping grounds, Monmouth Park, when the meet opens July 3.

Peterson is 5’4″, 108 pounds, with a polite manner. At 28, she brings a maturity and confidence to her career not found in most seven-pound apprentices. In all likelihood, she is the best-educated jockey in history, and her accomplishments go beyond that. She is also a certified acupuncturist and was a Division I pole vaulter at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who reached the state finals in high school and at junior college.

Krone met Peterson at Del Mar last summer, and she made the snap decision to become involved in her story, and to represent her in her own first try at being a jockey’s agent.

“She had a reputation for being the girl who loves racehorses so much that she’s going to ride races while she goes to vet school,” said Krone. “She wants to be a jockey with passion of nothing I’ve ever seen in my life. Literally. Like, unmeasurable craziness. I’ve seen people try to talk her out of it, and they’re like, `Oh, you’re a nice girl. You’ve got a great education.’ And the way she sees it, she’s going to be a jockey until she’s old, and then she can be a veterinarian.”

“This is literally what I wanted to do my entire life,” said Peterson, who graduated a year ago, and felt the call of riding races pulling her back to the track full-time after getting on horses for trainers in the morning during her final years at school. “When I was a young kid, I was always talking about becoming a jockey. I grew up on the back of a horse.”

Monmouth was Krone’s idea. She said that the strength of the jockey colony and the small fields that have plagued Southern California make it a tough place to get your start. Krone parlayed her own success at Monmouth, where she won the riding title from 1987-1989, into a career on the New York and later Southern California circuits. And it’s not the only page they’ll take out of the Krone playbook.

John Forbes and his then-assistant Pat McBurney played a key part in getting Krone’s career off the ground when Forbes, the perennial leading trainer at Monmouth at the time, used her as his regular rider. McBurney has now taken over the reins at the stable, and when it came time to entrust Peterson’s career to someone, Krone sent her east to work with McBurney. She spent this spring exercising eight or nine horses a day for the trainer at Overbrook Farm, where McBurney stabled his horses until Monmouth Park opened for training. McBurney said that when Krone called, he listened.

“I received a call from Julie Krone and she asked me about an apprentice rider coming out to Monmouth Park this summer,” McBurney recalled. “If Julie was excited about a rider, of course we were going to listen to that. So she came out to Overbrook and has just been galloping and breezing horses. We only have a half-mile track here, so you can’t kick on too fast, but she’s doing very good; gets along with the horses as she learns about them, getting them to relax and everything. It’s hard to say what kind of jockey she is at this point, but has a great way with horses. She’s a very hard worker with a great attitude. Everyone likes her in the barn, and everyone is interested to see her get riding and see how she can do.”

Krone was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and retired for the second and final time in 2004 after winning 3,704 races in a career that spanned almost 20 years. She has taken a particular interest in Peterson since meeting her at Del Mar last year, moving her into the home she shares with her husband, the writer Jay Hovdey, and their daughter in order to more efficiently impart her knowledge. They have reviewed films and form, done strength training, strengthened other muscles by surfing and playing pickleball, and have formed a strong friendship as well as working relationship.

Before they met, Peterson had been riding at Golden Gate while she completed her clinical year in veterinary school, but she always had her sights set on the Southern California circuit. “I thought, `I’m going to go to where I know of the best jockeys and trainers and try to learn from them. And if I don’t make it, then at least I tried my hardest and had an awesome experience.'”

She had had a handful of winners when, that summer at Del Mar, she set out to meet Krone, who was doing a book signing on Pacific Classic Day. Peterson saw the line that had formed, and realized that it wouldn’t be a good opportunity to talk, but happened to run into on her way out of the track that night. She introduced herself, and Krone invited her to her house to talk the next day. The following week, Krone suggested that she stay in San Diego and train with her, and return to racing in the spring.

For the past 15 years, Krone’s nearly full-time occupation has been as a mother. While she has done some racing commentating work here and there, her main focus has been her daughter Lorelei, a gifted singer and actress who is a community theater regular in the San Diego area who hopes to pursue that interest in college. Lorelei tearfully confessed her lack of interest in horses when she was young, and Krone has supported her passion for theater, helping out by painting sets, sewing costumes and even acting a bit here and there.

But in Peterson, she might have found not only her return to the sport, but a new career after her daughter heads off to school. While Peterson is 28, Krone has definitely taken her under her wing as if she’s her second child.

To read the rest of this story at the TDN Look, or to watch the video or hear it as a podcast, click here.

The post Are Krone and Peterson an Unbeatable Team? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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UC Davis Launches Additional Equine DNA Tests

The UC Davis' Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) has released new tests for three equine conditions: Equine Familial Isolated Hypocalcemia (EFIH), Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) and Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB) in Tennessee Walking Horses.

Undergraduate intern Izzie Hack was instrumental in discovering the genetic cause CSNB in Tennessee Walking Horses. The VGL can now test for the variant that is suspected to cause SCNB in Tennessee Walking Horses. This testing can help Tennessee Walking Horse owners and breeders identify affected horses and carriers that may produce affected foals.

The other tests the VGL can now test for are Equine Familial Isolated Hypocalcemia (EFIH) and Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS). EFIH causes involuntary contraction of muscles and seizures in Thoroughbred foals; it is fatal. AIS causes genotypic males to have external female genitalia; affected horses generally have an underdeveloped uterus as well as underdeveloped, retained testes. Horses with AIS are infertile and act like stallions.

Additional information about each test is available.