For those who follow laminitis research to any degree, the name of Chris Pollitt, BVSc, PhD, is synonymous with advanced research on the subject. At the Second International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, he reinforced that reputation with a discussion of the latest work at the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit, the mission of which is: To discover the mechanism of laminitis and make it a preventable disease.

"We focus primarily on the cause, pathophysiology, and developmental stages," Pollitt stated.

He began his presentation by stating that laminitis is, "a dynamic, molecular process superimposed on normal biology. Many of its features are normal processes appearing at the wrong time and place. We need to know more about the genes and proteins of the laminar region–what is the genetic control of the attachments between hoof wall and connective tissue? What turns these factors on and off? We need a better understanding of some of these key activities and processes to shed light on how laminitis might occur