About

Lauren Schnabel is a faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University. The page does not provide specific details about her research focus, background, or key contributions. Therefore, no further biographical information is available from the provided text.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Pathology
• Immunology
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Internal medicine
• Pharmacology
• Anatomy
• Cancer research
• Biochemistry
• Surgery
• Andrology
• Molecular biology
• Intensive care medicine

Selected publications

• Cell and Gene Therapy in Equine Ocular Disease

  Veterinary Ophthalmology · 2026-02-02

  articleOpen access

  Equine ocular disease is common and often challenging to treat using traditional methods. This has led to the development of new therapies. Like human medicine, veterinary medicine is adopting cellular and gene therapy as innovative approaches. Equine ocular disease is a particularly promising area for these techniques. Notably, immune-mediated diseases (such as immune-mediated keratitis and equine recurrent uveitis), ulcerative keratitis, and infectious ocular diseases are of interest. Several ocular gene therapy products are approved for use in humans, and more are currently being researched in veterinary medicine. In veterinary practice, cell therapy mainly involves multipotent stromal cells or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are also widely studied in human medicine. This review aims to summarize the status of cell and gene therapy in equine ocular disease and provide background on the principles behind these treatments, as well as insights from human medicine. Although many in vitro studies and case series exist, a significant research gap remains. Despite growing clinical use, there are limited controlled in vivo studies assessing their safety, routes of administration, or effectiveness.

  PublisherDOI

• The Effect of Lipemia on Insulin and Adiponectin Measurement in Equine Blood Samples

  Veterinary Clinical Pathology · 2026-02-16

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Lipemia is a common comorbidity in horses with obesity or equine metabolic syndrome, but the impact of lipemia on the measurement of insulin and adiponectin has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate endogenous and exogenous lipemic interference with equine insulin and adiponectin measurements via several commercial assays. METHODS: Endogenous lipemia was evaluated using plasma and serum samples with triglyceride concentrations of < 40, 40-250, 250-500, 500-1000, and > 1000 mg/dL (n = 6 each). Sample insulin concentrations were determined via fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (FEIA), ELISA, and lateral flow assay (LFA). Test agreement was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, Passing-Bablok regression, and Bland-Altman analysis. Exogenous lipemia was evaluated using pools of serum, plasma, and whole blood (n = 5 each) spiked with Intralipid 20% to triglyceride concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/dL. Insulin concentrations were measured via FEIA, ELISA, and LFA, and adiponectin concentrations via immunoturbidometric assay (ITA). Interferograms were created and a Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare bias between triglyceride concentrations. RESULTS: With endogenous lipemia, agreement between the three assays was excellent (r > 0.90) with no appreciable impact of triglyceride concentration. For exogenous lipemia, significant (p < 0.05) negative interference was observed at triglyceride concentrations of 1000 mg/dL with the insulin ELISA using plasma. No significant interference was found for the insulin ELISA or FEIA using serum, insulin LFA using whole blood or plasma, or adiponectin ITA using serum. CONCLUSION: Falsely low insulin values may be obtained at high triglyceride concentrations with the insulin ELISA using plasma.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in equine and canine practice

  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · 2026-03-06

  articleSenior author

  Objective: To describe the proposed mechanism of action of shock wave therapy and discuss treatment considerations and guidelines for use in equine and canine practice. Animals: Client-owned animals with owner consent. Methods: Shock wave therapy is proposed to stimulate healing by generating forces that cause cells to undergo microtrauma and release anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors into the treated tissues. While the 4 types of shock wave therapies are discussed, electrohydraulic and piezoelectric are described in detail, as they are most utilized in veterinary medicine for the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, and nonunion fractures. The dose that is applied per patient is relative to the selected settings of depth, energy level, and number of pulses delivered. It is important to recognize that the highest energy deposition and greatest biological effects are seen at anatomic regions of differing tissue types such as bone and soft tissue interfaces; thus, shock wave is particularly useful at areas of enthesopathy. Results: Because of the mechanism of action, the use of anti-inflammatory medications and/or cryotherapy around shock wave treatment times should be avoided. Additionally, because of the potent analgesic effects of shock wave for the first 48 hours after treatment, rest is recommended to prevent any further damage to the tissues. Competition rules surrounding the use of shock wave must also be followed and discussed with owners. Clinical Relevance: Shock wave therapy is an accessible and useful modality for the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, and nonunion fractures.

  PublisherDOI

• An Exploratory Assessment of Associations Between Serum Estrogen to Progesterone Ratio and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Size, Biomechanics, and T2* Relaxation Time in the Porcine Model

  Journal of Biomechanical Engineering · 2026-03-12

  article

  Adolescent females are at a higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than males. While prior studies have associated injury timing and menstrual cycle phase, these data are limited by indirect cycle tracking and lack of analysis on ACL structure, mechanics, or composition. Additionally, little is known about how female sex hormones influence the distinct ACL bundles. This exploratory study investigated associations between serum sex hormone concentrations and size, mechanics, and composition of the ACL and its bundles in a female adolescent pig model. Serum from nine adolescent female Yorkshire crossbreed pigs was collected pre-euthanasia and analyzed for levels of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. The ACL and its bundles were assessed for size via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), mechanics via robotic testing, and composition via biochemical and histological analyses. While individual hormone levels and the estradiol-to-progesterone (E/P) ratio had no association with most metrics, the E/P ratio was significantly associated with ACL size and T2* relaxation time. Higher E/P ratios were negatively associated with anteromedial (AM) bundle cross-sectional area (CSA) (R2 = 0.44) and overall ACL volume (R2 = 0.49) and positively associated with posterolateral (PL) bundle T2* relaxation time (R2 = 0.69, p < 0.05). Serum E/P ratio was also positively associated with normalized ACL stiffness, but there were no associations observed for tissue composition. The results of this exploratory study indicate that the ACL may be responsive to exposure to the relative concentration of female sex hormone in a bundle-specific manner.

  PublisherDOI

• Early degenerative changes are different between partial and complete anterior cruciate ligament injury and associate with joint instability in a skeletally immature porcine model

  UNC Libraries · 2025-11-09

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Evidence for alpha-2-macroglobulin as an orthobiologic osteoarthritis therapy: a narrative review

  American Journal of Veterinary Research · 2025-10-31

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Orthobiologics rich in alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) are being used with increasing frequency to treat equine and human osteoarthritis (OA). The glycoprotein is concentrated from whole blood, typically prepared by a commercial device, and is administered IA with the goal of ameliorating inflammation and associated pain. In recent years, numerous investigations have elucidated A2M's mechanism of action and its effects on joint cells; however, none have used the horse as a model nor have they investigated the commercially available kit for equine orthobiologic preparation, Alpha2EQ. This narrative review presents the most pertinent work on A2M, which supports its current clinical use as an OA treatment. Alpha-2-macroglobulin has been studied in a variety of preclinical models, in vivo, and in clinical patients. As a naturally occurring and potent protease inhibitor, A2M acts to regulate key components of the OA inflammatory cascade, from cytokines and chemokines, which propagate synovitis, to disintegrins and metalloproteinases that degrade the cartilage extracellular matrix. Three main mechanisms of action contribute to A2M's modulation of joint inflammation and concomitant OA progression across species: the bait-and-trap mechanism, direct binding interactions, and regulation of gene expression. In vivo, A2M treatment results in improved histopathology scores, gait improvement in animals, and improved patient-reported outcomes in people. Though substantial evidence exists for A2M's anti-inflammatory effects and role in OA treatment, further studies will be required to elucidate the mechanisms of the equine orthobiologic.

  PublisherDOI

• Current and Emerging Biologic Therapies for Equine Tendon and Ligament Injuries

  Veterinary Clinics of North America Equine Practice · 2025-06-13 · 2 citations

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Equine neutrophils selectively release neutrophil extracellular traps in response to chemical and bacterial agonists

  Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 2025-02-24 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a significant role in response to a variety of infectious and inflammatory stimuli in human and veterinary medicine. Although entrapment of bacteria can be an important function of NETs, the exuberant release of DNA and other intracellular molecules has also been negatively implicated in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Thus, NET formation must be tightly controlled and represents an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Horses are particularly sensitive to bacterial stimuli that have previously been shown to cause NETs in other species, but the species-specific processes that control NET release have not been fully elucidated. Methods The purpose of this study was to compare the magnitude of response of equine neutrophils to different chemical and bacterial stimuli, including phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a calcium ionophore (A23187), Staphylococcus aureus , and Escherichia coli . In addition, we investigated whether ex vivo equine NET formation is controlled by the NADPH-oxidase (NOX) pathway and by autophagy, both of which control NET formation in other species. Results We demonstrated that equine neutrophils produce robust NETs in response to calcium ionophore and E. coli stimuli and produce fewer NETs in response to PMA and S. aureus . Both NOX-dependent and NOX-independent pathways of NET formation were identified in equine neutrophils. Autophagy inhibition altered the mechanics of NET release, by reducing the amount of extracellular DNA stranding. Discussion These results provide insight into equine-specific neutrophil biology, which could be key for managing equine diseases such as asthma and laminitis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Postoperative management following equine orthopedic surgery: a survey of diplomates of the ACVS and ACVSMR

  Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 2025-12-05

  articleOpen access

  Postoperative management, including rehabilitation and physical therapy, is important to decrease pain and improve return to function in human and small animal orthopedic surgical cases; however, recommendations for postoperative management for equine orthopedic surgical cases is limited. As the field of equine rehabilitation continues to expand, we must understand how postoperative management and rehabilitation modalities are being used to determine evidence based guidelines for commonly utilized modalities. The objectives of this cross-sectional survey were to (1) investigate postoperative management recommendations for four common equine orthopedic surgical scenarios by diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) and American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) and to (2) determine if recommendations were different between specialties and (3) different between surgical scenarios. An electronic cross-sectional survey with four equine orthopedic surgical scenarios (simple arthroscopy [SA], septic arthritis [SJ], deep digital flexor tendon tear [DT], and neurectomy of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve and fasciotomy [NF]) with questions regarding postoperative management recommendations was distributed to diplomates of the ACVS and ACVSMR. A total of 85 surveys were completed. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory administration, bandaging, hand-walking, and small paddock turnout, were most recommended for all scenarios. SA, SJ, and NF cases had small paddock turnout, full turnout, and ridden exercise recommended sooner than DT cases. Longer periods of hand-walking and small paddock turnout were recommended for DT cases. Intrathecal therapies were most frequently recommended for DT cases. ACVSMR diplomates were more likely to recommend rehabilitation modalities for certain scenarios. In conclusion, results of this survey describe postoperative management for equine orthopedic surgical cases recommended by ACVS and ACVSMR diplomates. Few differences were identified in recommendations between diplomates. Differences were identified between the different surgical case scenarios.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Alpha2EQ downregulates proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine gene expression in cultured synovial fibroblasts

  American Journal of Veterinary Research · 2025-12-30

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Objective: To investigate the ability of the equine orthobiologic Alpha2EQ to control inflammation in cultured synovial fibroblasts. Methods: Equine synovial fibroblasts (n = 16) were cultured in a monolayer, and a targeted transcriptomic analysis (NanoString nCounter) was performed to screen for upregulated inflammatory gene expression. Cells were classified according to their IL-6 expression level. In the first experiment, high IL-6 expression (n = 4) and low IL-6 expression (4) cells were treated with Alpha2EQ, and in the second, cells with basal IL-6 expression were stimulated with 10 ng/mL IL-1β (4) before treatment. Allogeneic Alpha2EQ was pooled from sound healthy horses (n = 6) at a dose of 25% vol/vol of cell culture media. Twenty-four hours later, RNA was isolated for NanoString gene expression analysis. The t tests assessed differences in mean gene expression fold changes between baseline and treatment, while one-way ANOVA or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for multiple comparisons (P < .05). Results: Alpha2EQ downregulated inflammatory genes in 2 cell culture models. Compared to baseline, Alpha2EQ treatment significantly reduced expression of IL-6, IL-15, and CCL2/MCP1 in IL-6HIGH synovial fibroblasts by 1.88- to 4.21-fold, as well as expression of IL-1β, CCL5/RANTES, and PPBP/CXCL7 by 2.14- to 4.07-fold in a 10 ng/mL IL-1β model. In addition, CXCL6/GCP-2 and TNF-α were significantly downregulated by Alpha2EQ in both models (2.64- to 5.38-fold). Conclusions: Alpha2EQ reduces inflammation by modulating the expression of cytokines and chemokines by synovial cells. Clinical Relevance: This study provides early insights into Alpha2EQ's anti-inflammatory mechanisms in vitro and evidence to support its clinical use in the treatment of equine osteoarthritis.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Equine iPS cells and their ability to enhance tendon regeneration in vivo

  NIH · $614k · 2012–2018

Frequent coauthors

• Jessica M. Gilbertie

  North Central State College

  40 shared

• Lisa A. Fortier

  New York State College of Veterinary Medicine

  37 shared

• Joshua G. Pierce

  North Carolina State University

  20 shared

• Alix K. Berglund

  North Carolina State University

  18 shared

• Margaret C. Flanders

  North Carolina State University

  18 shared

• Drew W. Koch

  North Carolina State University

  18 shared

• Mark G. Papich

  North Carolina State University

  15 shared

• Jennifer C. Daiker

  North Central State College

  14 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Comparative Biomedical Sciences

  North Carolina State University

  2009

• M.S., Comparative Biomedical Sciences

  University of California, Davis

  2004

• B.S., Animal Science

  University of California, Davis

  2002

Awards & honors

• Comparative Medicine and Translational Research Training Pro…
• NIH funding for the Comparative Medicine and Translational R…