Displaying results 21 - 30 of 76 items found.
(Web Page; Tue Jan 02 13:14:00 CST 2024)
Description:
Many dog breeds, including mixed breeds, carry genetic mutations for degenerative myelopathy (DM), a late adult-onset disease that begins with loss of coordination and progressive hind limb paralysis. The disease is particularly prevalent in Boxers and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and is similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in people. Approximately two to three years after first signs of DM appear in dogs, loss of muscle function spreads, resulting in complete paralysis. Although the investigators have found that almost all cases of DM in dogs are associated with mutations in a gene called SOD1, it is not understood how these mutations lead to the progressive paralysis that characterizes DM. Ultimately, the research team hopes to develop a treatment that will prevent the onset and progression of disease. In order to do so, a better understanding of the earliest pathology in the muscles and nerves of affected dogs, and how this pathology spreads over time, is needed. This will enable the identification of targets for therapeutic intervention. In this study, the research team hopes to identify the earliest biochemical and structural changes in the central nervous system, muscles and nerves of dogs, and to characterize these changes as the disease progresses.
(Web Page; Mon Mar 04 09:00:00 CST 2024)
Description:
Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive and inevitably fatal neurological disease affecting members of different dog breeds and mixes. It is an inherited disease with an age-related penetrance. The risk of developing the disease when dogs are homozygous for the causal SOD1 variant allele is currently unknown but of great concern to dog breeders and owners. The proposed research will further define the risk for developing DM in genetically at-risk dogs with a health survey distributed to dog owners whose dogs have been tested for the risk factor allele. This work will also examine the molecular mechanisms responsible for disease onset and spread by comparing single-nucleus RNA expression patterns in specific cell types in dorsal root ganglia from normal dogs and from affected dogs at various stages of the disease.
23. Studying Potential Treatments for Degenerative Myelopathy
(Web Page; Thu May 25 09:39:00 CDT 2023)
Description: A recently awarded grant from the AKC Canine Health Foundation will help investigators study the drug riluzole as a potential treatment for dogs with DM.
24. The Role of Aging and the Immune System in Canine Degenerative Myelopathy
(Web Page; Wed May 12 11:11:00 CDT 2021)
Description: CHF-funded researchers concluded that priming of central nervous system immune cells, advancing age, and a mutation in the gene that codes for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are all risk factors for development of clinical signs of canine DM.
25. Boxers with Degenerative Myelopathy
(File; Wed Nov 01 14:11:00 CDT 2017)
Description: Fall 2017 issue of the Boxer Update, courtesy of Purina Pro Plan
(File; Fri Nov 19 18:46:00 CST 2010)
Description: Article topics include parvovirus, the things dogs will eat, the genetic test for Degenerative Myelopathy and more.
27. Sequence Analysis of DLA-DRB1 in German Shepherd Dogs Having Degenerative Myelopathy
(Web Page; Wed Aug 21 09:05:00 CDT 2019)
Description: Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that is common in the large breed dogs, particularly the GSD. Onset of DM usually occurs in dogs 5 to 14 years old. Affected dogs will begin to drag their legs and exhibit other signs of weakness in the hind limbs. Currently, there is no defined diagnostic procedure or treatment regimen for DM. Most affected dogs are euthanized within one year of diagnosis. The cause of DM is unknown and very few studies have been conducted to understand the genetics underlying the disease. Multiple sclerosis is a human disorder that is clinically similar to DM. Specific variations in the gene HLA-DRB1 are associated with the development of multiple sclerosis. We propose to compare the sequences of the canine version of this gene, DLA-DRB1, in affected and normal GSDs to determine if variations are associated with DM.
28. Analysis of Degenerative Myelopathy in the German Shepherd Dog Using the SNP Array
(Web Page; Wed Aug 21 09:05:00 CDT 2019)
Description: Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that is common in the large breed dogs, particularly the GSD. Onset of DM usually occurs in dogs 5 to 14 years old. Affected dogs will begin to drag their legs and exhibit other signs of weakness in the hind limbs. Currently, there is no defined diagnostic procedure or treatment regimen for DM. Most affected dogs are euthanized within one year of diagnosis. The cause of DM is unknown and very few studies have been conducted to understand the genetics underlying the disease. We propose herein to use the canine SNP array to evaluate differences between affected and unaffected GSDs in an effort to identify regions of the genome that may harbor genes involved in the disease.
(Web Page; Wed Aug 21 09:05:00 CDT 2019)
Description: Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a degenerative spinal cord disease affecting primarily, but not exclusively, older German Shepherd Dogs. Affected dogs show progressive rear limb weakness and eventually paralysis. Intestinal abnormalities have been described in affected dogs, and we suspect that an essential amino acid, methionine, may be deficient secondary to abnormal intestinal absorption. An imbalance of methionine or related substances in the blood of spinal fluid may affect the production of myelin, the fatty covering of the nerves that is essential to their function. If this is true, dietary supplementation with methionine may halt neurologic deterioration or improve neurologic signs. Testing blood or spinal fluid for concentrations of methionine and related substances may allow dogs at risk to receive early treatment before clinical signs of disease become apparent. Identification of such dogs also could help prevent them from being used for breeding purposes. Newly established tests of intestinal function will be used to further characterize abnormalities in dogs with DM. We also will redefine neurologic-based testing procedures to monitor disease progression and will utilize modern methods to evaluate the microscopic characteristics of the disease. We anticipate that the results of the proposed studies will help assist in the accurate diagnosis and monitoring of DM, allowing evaluation of new therapies and assisting in the future identification of a genetic marker for DM.
(File; Wed Sep 26 11:48:00 CDT 2018)
Description: Topics include degenerative myelopathy, Leptospirosis, 2018 theriogenology residents, and researcher Dr. Joan Coates.
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