IRAP
IRAP therapy is a novel therapy that has recently been developed for
treatment of inflamed or arthritic joints. IRAP is an abbreviation for
Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein therapy. The treatment
consists of the injection of an autologous serum sample into a horse’s
affected joint. The serum contains anti-inflammatory proteins that
block the harmful effects of Interleukin-1, an inflammatory substance
that has been shown to worsen osteoarthritis by causing destruction of
cartilage.
The autologous serum is obtained from the horse itself by drawing blood
into a special syringe with glass beads. The blood is incubated for 24
hours to amplify the levels of the IRAP and then centrifuged to
separate the blood cells from the serum. The resulting autologous
serum is then injected into the affected joint on a weekly to biweekly
basis for a series of 3-4 treatments.
The treatment has been extremely safe and is an alternative to
traditional joint injections with corticosteroids or "cortisone".
treatment of inflamed or arthritic joints. IRAP is an abbreviation for
Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein therapy. The treatment
consists of the injection of an autologous serum sample into a horse’s
affected joint. The serum contains anti-inflammatory proteins that
block the harmful effects of Interleukin-1, an inflammatory substance
that has been shown to worsen osteoarthritis by causing destruction of
cartilage.
The autologous serum is obtained from the horse itself by drawing blood
into a special syringe with glass beads. The blood is incubated for 24
hours to amplify the levels of the IRAP and then centrifuged to
separate the blood cells from the serum. The resulting autologous
serum is then injected into the affected joint on a weekly to biweekly
basis for a series of 3-4 treatments.
The treatment has been extremely safe and is an alternative to
traditional joint injections with corticosteroids or "cortisone".