Understanding Equine Cushing’s Disease to improve horse and human health

Introduction
Equine Cushing’s Disease, also known as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), is a common endocrine disease in horses. The underlying cause involves damage to the brain pathway that regulates melanocortin hormones produced from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) in the pituitary pars intermedia. POMC is cleaved into several peptides in the pituitary pars intermedia and it is unknown how each one of these is affected in Equine Cushing’s Disease.

Supervisors: A/P Kathy Mountjoy and Dr Gus Grey, Department of Physiology, SMS, FMHS
Collaborator: Dr Emma Gordon, Equine surgeon, Massey University, Palmerston North
Seeking: BSc (Hons), BBiomed Hons, Masters and PhD students with a passion for multidisciplinary biomedical research.

Objective
This project will apply state-of-the-art MALDI imaging mass spectrometry technology to identify  and map POMC cleavage products through horse pituitary. MALDI imaging mass spectrometry is a proteomic technique that combines the specificity and sensitivity of mass spectrometry with spatial information to map tissue-wide distribution of multiple analytes simultaneously, directly from a single tissue section.

Significance
Understanding Equine Cushing’s Disease will advance understanding melanocortin hormone physiology and ultimately lead to improvements for horse and human health.

To apply, go to:

https://www.findathesis.auckland.ac.nz/research-entry/10464409
or contact: Dr Kathy Mountjoy (kmountjoy@auckland.ac.nz) or Dr Gus Grey (ac.grey@auckland.ac.nz)