University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

TERF Awards $14K to UPenn Vet Med School

The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) announced that it is awarding $ 14,000 to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine to be used to support the Opportunity Scholarship Fund for student scholarships.

In the past, TERF has generously awarded grants for need-based scholarships for students interested in pursuing equine medicine. In alignment with their mission to support and promote equine education by supporting organizations that are educating the public on the proper care of horses, TERF continues to offer their financial assistance in 2021. The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine will use the grant for need-based scholarships for students enrolled in the school.

Eric Parente, DVM, Chair of the school's scholarship committee, remarked in a recent note to TERF, “TERF's thoughtful generosity allows Penn Vet students to excel inside and outside of the classroom. Because of you, Penn Vet trains the best and brightest veterinary leaders who will serve locally, regionally and globally.”

TERF's grants reflect the values set forth by founders Herb and Ellen Moelis. TERF's current Board, includes co-Chairs Kathleen Anderson DVM, and James Orsini DVM, Margaret H. Duprey, Gretchen and Roy Jackson, Ellen and Herb Moelis, Wendy Moon, Anita Motion, Toni Orsini, Scott Palmer VMD, Josh Pons, Lucy Zungailia, Katelyn Jackson and Lynn Cassimeris, Ph.D.

To make learn more about the Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation please visit www.terfusa.org.

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TERF Awards $100,500 in Grants

The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) has awarded $100,500 in grants to 12 organizations. With the vision and mission of bettering the life of Thoroughbred, TERF primarily aims to support students in pursuit of education in Equine Medicine and to fund research efforts which better the life of the Thoroughbred horse.

To fund scholarships and education, $10,000 was awarded to the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc., $2,500 to Amplify Horse Racing, $12,000 to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, $4,000 to the MidAtlantic Horse Rescue, $5,000 to the Retired Race Horse Project, $5,000 to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, $4,000 to the University of Minnesota Foundation, $10,000 to the Maryland Horse Industry Foundation, $14,000 to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, $16,000 to Wilson College and $4,000 was awarded to HorseMen U. Additionally, $14,000 was awarded to the Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), to fund a graduate student/resident research grant.

To learn more about the Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation, visit www.terfusa.org. To make a tax deductible donation to TERF, click here or send a donation to TERF c/o The Chester County Community Foundation, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382.

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Penn Vet Develops New Gene Doping Test

A new test developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) can detect the presence of gene doping in equines. Partly supported by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) and the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission, the findings, which systemically detect the local administration of illicit, gene doping therapies, are a significant breakthrough. Unlike other small molecule pharmaceuticals, gene doping agents trigger cells to produce performance-enhancing proteins, which often are virtually indistinguishable from naturally occurring proteins within the body, making it more difficult to determine whether or not an animal has had gene therapy.

The team of Penn Vet researchers has created and validated a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test–a term that has become common vernacular due to COVID-19 tests-which is able to detect the presence of a gene doping agent in plasma and synovial fluid after its intra-articular administration in horses.

“For the first time, we have demonstrated that a PCR test performed on a blood sample can detect the local administration of a gene therapy into the joint of a horse,” said Mary Robinson, PhD, VMD, DACVCP, assistant professor of Veterinary Pharmacology and director of the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center. “While this test is currently limited in that it can only detect a specific gene therapy, it provides proof of concept that a gene therapy administered into the joint can be detected in a blood sample in a manner that is quick, convenient, and consistent with our long-term goal of deploying pre-race testing someday in the future.”

The researchers at Penn Vet were able to detect the gene doping agent in equine joint fluid after it was administered intra-articularly and in blood for up to 28 days, making it useful for both pre-race and out-of-competition testing.

More work is being done by Penn Vet with the goal of someday creating “biological passports” and screening tests that would successfully identify multiple gene doping agents for even longer periods of time. Researchers believe biomarkers could also be key in detecting gene doping as well as predicting injuries before they happen.

“We still have a lot of work to do to better understand the nature of biomarkers and how to fully harness their capabilities, but the science for detecting gene doping is getting there and much more quickly than any of us could have anticipated when we started this research,” said Robinson. “Ideas that once may have seemed unattainable–like a hand-held, stall-side testing device–are now coming into sight as real and tangible possibilities. We just need continued support to help get us there.”

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TERF Awards $20k to the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine

The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) has awarded $20,000 to the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinary Medicine to be used for equine research.

In alignment with their mission to support and promote equine research, TERF annually provides grant funding to organizations that are engaged in the research of issues which impact equine health.

Funding will be used to support research by Mary Robinson, VMD, PhD in a study of the use of bisphosphonates to medically treat equines. Bisphosphonates inhibit bone breakdown and are useful for treating bone disorders in horses.

The study will provide evidence for a better understanding of the impact of the use of bisphosphonates in the treatment of Thoroughbreds for these issues which can significantly impact an equine’s quality of life.

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