Equine Pregnancy Protein Discovered
A research project funded by The Horse Trust has discovered for the first time the expression of a protein in horses known to be important in maintaining pregnancy.
Infertility and foetal loss are a significant problem within the equine industry, causing distress to both the mares and the owners. The cause of loss is unknown in around 20% of cases.
The research aimed to understand more about how pregnancy is maintained in horses and to investigate further into how equine herpevirus may trigger foetal loss.
The project was undertaken by Dr Lucy Woolford at the Royal Veterinary College, who now works as a Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Maintaining a viable pregnancy is dependent on the ability of the mother's immune system to 'tolerate' the immunologically 'foreign' foetus. The ways in which mares tolerate the developing foetus is not fully understand, but in humans, primates and mice a protein called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) produced by the pregnant uterus has been shown to be important.
Dr Woolford said she believes the research is "the first study ever to describe the expression and localisation of IDO in equine tissues."
She added: "More research is needed to understand the immunology of pregnancy and how IDO might contribute to maintenance of pregnancy in mares. More research is also needed to further understand how equine causes foetal loss."
Her research so far has been submitted for publication in a veterinary journal.
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
