From:
Brett Middleton
Date: 2001-04-09 12:59:00 UTC
Subject: A possible vaccine for adrenal disease?
I don't know why I didn't make the connection sooner, but several
studies in cattle and sheep show that an anti-GnRH vaccination works
well as a method of immuno-castration when given to young males, and is
effective at preventing estrus when used on sexually-mature feedlot
heifers. When used for immuno-castration in males, the impact on
growth and development seems to be minimal compared to surgical
methods.
I wonder if testing this wouldn't be well worth a grant or two. If it
were effective in neutering ferrets, I imagine that most breeders
(including the large commercial breeders) would give up surgical
spay/neuter in a flash. That could be a market large enough to attract
some interest by the pharmaceutical industry. Even without this use,
there might still be a good sized market for a vaccination against
adrenal disease, or a market for an alternative treatment in cases
where surgery is not an option. I suspect the anti-GnRH vaccine would
be both cheaper and longer-lasting than Lupron. Of course, we have no
idea of the long-term effects of inducing what amounts to an auto-
immune response, but we also don't know the long-term effects of using
Lupron to overstimulate the pituitary gland to prevent overstimulation
of the adrenal gland.
Are any of the vets aware of any anti-GnRH studies in species other
than livestock? Anyone looking at this for use in neutering dogs or
cats?
Brett
*SLMW 1.0* I am NOT a 'troublemaker'; I'm a 'catalyst for change'.