A horse named Pea is first to test focused ultrasound treatment of skin tumors called sarcoids
There is no "one-fix-for-all" solution for sarcoids, said Sophie Bogers, an assistant professor of large animal surgery. Many require chemotherapy or invasive surgery. But she wants a better solution.
A horse named Pea became the first live test subject in a Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine clinical trial examining the potential of focused ultrasound treatment for sarcoids, the most common and hardest-to-beat skin tumors in horses. Led by assistant professor of large animal surgery Sophie Bogers, the treatment involved a technology called histotripsy, which uses focused ultrasound to create a bubble cloud that breaks down tumor tissue.
Bogers explained that while many sarcoid treatments require chemotherapy or invasive surgery, histotripsy offers a potentially better solution. The trial aims to develop a wearable device that would allow histotripsy to be performed safely on horses, with Pea's treatment being the first real test of the system. Pea, a 9-year-old Hanoverian mare, tolerated the treatment well, standing calmly while awake.
Sarcoids, caused by bovine papillomavirus, are notoriously difficult to eliminate. Standard treatment often involves surgical removal or chemotherapy, but histotripsy could provide a more practical and less risky option. Engineers are working on a more powerful portable device, and the team needs four more horses to complete the study phase.
Bogers emphasized the importance of early treatment, as managing sarcoids can be a long and costly process for horse owners.
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