David W. Horohov

Dr. Horohov is professor of immunology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. His research program focuses on the identification and characterization of equine cytokines and their role in protective and pathologic immune responses.  Current projects include the characterization of protective immunity to Strongylus vulgaris, identification of cytokines in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (“heaves”, and determining the role of environmental tobacco smoke on the induction of asthma.   Dr. Horohov is the coordinator of a graduate course on cellular and molecular immunology, and participates in other graduate courses on immune responses to infectious and parasitic agents, an introduction to research, and an immunological techniques course on flow cytometry and lymphocyte culturing.  He also presents lectures in other virology and cell-biology graduate courses.  Dr. Horohov has served as the major professor for both M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students, and serves on numerous graduate advisory committees.  He is a member of the American Association of Immunologists, the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists, Conference of Research Workers on Animal Diseases, and the American Society of Microbiology.  He serves on the peer review panel for the USDA and as a reviewer for various veterinary and immunology journals.  He has published over 50 scientific papers and several book chapters on equine immunology and cytokine biology.  He has presented his work at both national and international meetings and in various laboratories around the world.  His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Agriculture, The Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, Inc., Morris Animal foundation, the School of Veterinary Medicine's Equine Health Studies Program, the U.S. Army and Phillip Morris.  Dr. Horohov participates in the Multidisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease and the Equine Health Studies Program.

Research Interests

Dr. Horohov's group has cloned, sequenced and expressed a number of cytokine genes from the horse. These cytokines are used to better characterize the protective immune responses of horses to equine influenza virus and the parasitic nematode, Strongylus vulgaris, as well as the pathologic response in equine recurrent airway obstruction (“heaves”) and recurrent uveitis (“moon blindness”).  These studies could lead to better vaccines and therapies against these diseases.  Dr. Horohov's other research interest is in the area of stress-induced changes in immune function.  Dr. Horohov has developed an exercise-based model for studying the effect of exercise stress on the immune system of horses using the high speed equine treadmill located at the School of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Horohov is also collaborating with researchers at the Inhalation Research Facility of the School of Veterinary Medicine on the effect of environmental air pollutants on the development of immune responses in the lung.  Current emphasis of this work is on the possible role tobacco smoke may play in the development of asthmatic airway disease.

Selected Publications

Swiderski, C.E., Klei, T.R, Pourciau, S.S., Chapman, A., Chapman, M.R., Moore, R.M., McClure, J.R., and D.W. Horohov.  1999. T cell cytokine responses to Strongylus vulgaris in infected and vaccinated ponies. In: Equine Infectious Diseases VIII. U. Wernery, J.F. Wade, J.A. Mumford and O,-R. Kaaden (eds.).  R&W Publications (Newmarket:) Ltd. pp. 206-210.

Swiderski, C.E., Klei, T.R. and D.W. Horohov.  1999.  Quantitative measurement of cytokine mRNA expression by polymerase chain reaction using target-specific standard curves.  J. Imm. Meth. 222: 155-169.

Gilger, B.C., Malok, E., Cutter, K.V., Stewart, T., Horohov, D.W. and J.B. Allen.  1999. Characterization of T-lymphocytes in the anterior uvea of eyes with chronic equine recurrent uveitis.  Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol.  71:17-28.

Hammond, S.A.,  Horohov, D.W. and R.C.  Montelaro. 1999.  Functional characterization of equine dendritic cells propagated ex vivo using recombinant human GM-CSF and recombinant equine IL-4.   Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol.  71:197-214.

Gilger, B. C., E. Malok, T. Stewart, D. Horohov, P. Ashton, T. Smith, G. J. Jaffe, and J. B. Allen. 2000. Effect of an intravitreal cyclosporine implant on experimental uveitis in horses. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 76:239-255.

Benarafa, C., F. M. Cunningham, A. S. Hamblin, D. W. Horohov, and M. E. Collins. 2000. Cloning of equine chemokines eotaxin, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-2 and MCP-4, mRNA expression in tissues and induction by IL-4 in dermal fibroblasts. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 76:283-298.

Horohov, D. W., D. P. Lunn, H. G. Townsend, and D. Wilson. 2000. Equine vaccination. J Vet Intern Med 14:221-2.

Horohov, D. W. 2000. Equine T-cell cytokines. Protection and pathology. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 16:1-14.

Dohmann, K., B. Wagner, D. W. Horohov, and W. Leibold. 2000. Expression and characterisation of equine interleukin 2 and interleukin 4. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 77:243-256.

Swiderski, C. E., G. Soboll, D. P. Lunn, and D. W. Horohov. 2000. Molecular cloning, sequencing, and expression of equine interleukin-6. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 77:213-220.

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