A trial is underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) to develop a therapeutic vaccine to treat melanoma in grey horses.
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At the University's Veterinary Clinical Centre in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences in Wagga, equine surgeon Associate Professor Bryan Hilbert is working with a biotech company in Sydney company to trial a vaccination.
"Melanomas are very common in adult grey horses with 80 per cent suffering from this type of cancer,” he said. "Current therapies including freezing the tumours, chemotherapy, and surgery have met with only limited success.
A biopsy is taken from the horse at the University. The sample is then sent to Sydney manufacture the vaccine. It is then administered to the horse every three weeks for three months.