Hypothesis
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in dogs, similar in many ways to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in humans. It causes increasing weakness and paralysis, starting in the back legs and eventually affecting the front legs, swallowing muscles, and even breathing. There is currently no cure, and diagnosis is difficult, leaving dog owners feeling helpless as their pets decline.
Researchers believe that the drug riluzole, which is already approved to treat ALS in humans, may help slow the progression of DM in dogs. Riluzole works by preventing the build-up of certain nerve signaling chemicals that can damage nerve cells. Since DM and ALS share similar disease mechanisms, scientists hypothesize that riluzole could protect nerve cells in dogs with DM, potentially improving their quality of life and slowing the disease.
Research Approach
The study, funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) is led by Dr. Joan Coates, a veterinary neurologist at the University of Missouri (Grant 03139: Riluzole as a Neuroprotectant in Canine Degenerative Myelopathy). It will evaluate riluzole’s safety and effectiveness in dogs diagnosed with DM. The research has three main goals:
- Safety Testing: First, researchers will determine if riluzole is safe for dogs to take by mouth.
- Clinical Trial: Next, they will conduct a multi-site clinical trial to see if riluzole actually helps slow the disease. This means dogs will be enrolled at several veterinary hospitals across the country.
- Tracking Progression: Finally, the team will use a newly discovered biomarker—a measurable substance in the body—to track how the disease progresses in each dog. This helps ensure that any changes seen during treatment are accurately recorded.
To make this research possible, a network called Project DM was formed. It includes veterinary researchers from the University of Missouri, The Ohio State University, Tufts University, and North Carolina State University. This collaboration allows more dogs to participate in the study and helps gather reliable data faster.
Potential Impact
If riluzole proves to be safe and effective, it could become the first treatment option for dogs with DM. This would be a major breakthrough for dog owners facing this heartbreaking diagnosis. The study also lays the groundwork for future research, including testing multiple treatments at once and improving diagnostic tools.
The nonprofit Bubba’s Buddies, founded by Molli and Doug Cook in memory of their Boxer Bubba, is helping fund the screening tests needed to enroll dogs in the trial. These tests ensure that only dogs with confirmed DM are included, which is critical for collecting meaningful results. Bubba’s Buddies partnered with Project DM and CHF to support this effort and honor Bubba’s legacy.
Previous CHF-funded research has already led to important discoveries, such as identifying a genetic mutation that increases DM risk in certain breeds and finding structural changes in the nervous system that define the disease. The riluzole study builds on this foundation and represents the first CHF-funded attempt to treat DM directly.
Dog owners interested in participating or learning more can visit www.akcchf.org/03139. Clinical trial recruitment sites include the University of Missouri, Tufts University, The Ohio State University, and North Carolina State University.
