MU College of Veterinary Medicine - Research and Graduate Studies
Menu
  • About the College
      • Administration
      • Academic Departments
      • Accreditation Information
      • CVM Organizational Chart
      • History of the College of Veterinary Medicine
      • The D.V.M. – The Dean’s Video Message
      • College Service Units
      • Labs and Centers
      • Our Location and Facilities
      • CVM Pride Points
      • Employment
      • Schedule a College Visit
      • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
      • College Contacts
      • CVM News
      • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
    • Close
  • Prospective Students
      • ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
        • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program
        • BS in Animal Sciences and DVM Degrees
        • BS in Veterinary Technology
        • BS in Microbiology Degree
        • MPH/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program
        • Biomedical Sciences Graduate Studies
        • Masters of Public Health Degree Program (MPH)
        • Veterinary Pathobiology Graduate Studies
        • Veterinary Medicine & Surgery Graduate Studies
        • Online Graduate (Masters) Degree Program
        • Online Undergraduate Courses in Biomedical Science
        • Veterinary Technician Training Programs
      • ACADEMIC PREPARATION (DVM Program)
        • Academic Preparation in High School
        • Academic Preparation as an Undergraduate
        • Early Acceptance Programs
      • ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS (DVM Program)
        • Application Requirements
        • Course Prerequisites for the DVM Program
        • Important Application Dates
        • Standardized Test Information
        • Letters of Recommendation
      • ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
        • Nonacademic Preparation
        • Financial Aid
        • Missouri Residency Requirements
        • International Students
        • Transfer Request Information
        • Evaluation of Applicants & Selection Process
        • Characteristics of the Average CVM Student
        • Schedule a College Visit
        • Contact the Admissions Office
        • PAVE Evaluated Clinical Experience
    • Close
  • Current Students
    • CALENDARS
      • CVM Academic Calendar
      • Student Schedules
      • Veterinary Health Center
      • Facility Calendars
      • Student Event Calendar
      • Class of 2025
      • Class of 2026
      • INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
        • CVM Course Listings
        • Clinical Elective Courses
        • Consent Electives Off/On Campus
        • Evalue Academic Program
        • Course Materials
        • Clinical Competency Reporting
        • ADA Accommodations Policy
        • Using the Lockdown Browser
        • AT Sets
    • PRECEPTORSHIPS AND EXTERNSHIPS
      • General Information About Preceptorships
      • Preceptorship/Internship Evaluation Form
      • Reimbursement for Food Animal Experiences
      • CVM RESOURCES
        • Student Absence Notification
        • Vet Med Ovations
        • CVM Counseling Services
        • Student Handbook
        • Didactic Student Bite/Injury Packet
        • CVM Identification Badges
        • Visiting Scholars
        • Information Technology Unit
        • Financial Aid
        • Student Organizations
        • CVM Bookstore
        • Class Officers and Student Committee Assignments
        • Photo Composites
        • Research and Graduate Studies
        • Veterinary Research Scholars Program
        • Masters of Public Health Program
        • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
        • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
        • Handshake Employment Services
    • LICENSING INFORMATION
      • Professional Licensing Information
      • North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)
      • Missouri Veterinary Medical Board
      • MU RESOURCES
        • MU Inclement Weather Policies
        • Injury/Damage Form
        • MyZou
        • MU Transcripts
        • Office of Institutional Equity
        • Email Directory
        • Event Calendar
    • Close
  • Alumni and Friends
    • ALUMNI RESOURCES
      • Transcripts
      • Consent and Authorization to Release Information
      • Continuing Education
      • Giving to the CVM
    • COLLEGE RESOURCES
      • Employment
      • Schedule a College Visit
      • CVM Bookstore
      • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
      • Handshake Employment Services
    • SPECIAL EVENTS
      • Gentle Doctor Benefit
      • CVM Annual Open House
      • Vet Med Alumni Weekend 2023
    • Close
  • Faculty and Staff
      • CALENDARS
        • CVM Academic Calendar
        • Veterinary Health Center
        • Facility Calendars
        • Student Event Calendar
      • INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
        • Student Schedules
        • Course Materials
        • Course Listings
        • ADA Accommodations Policy
        • Information for Instructional Leaders
        • ADA Resources for Instructors
        • Clinical Competency Reporting
        • Instructions for New Course Proposals
        • MoCAT System for Teaching Evaluations
        • Clinical Elective Courses
        • Evalue Academic Program
      • MU RESOURCES
        • MU Inclement Weather Policies
        • MyZou
        • MU Staff Advisory Council
        • MU Transcripts
        • Office of Institutional Equity
        • Email Directory
        • Event Calendar
        • Travel Expense Form
      • CVM RESOURCES
        • CVM Town Hall Archive
        • Photo Composites
        • Vet Med Ovations
        • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
        • CVM Identification Badges
        • Committee Assignments and Minutes
        • Continuing Education
        • Emergency Action Plans
        • CVM Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
        • General Faculty Meeting Minutes
        • Student Handbook
        • Consent and Authorization to Release
        • Disaster Preparedness
        • AVMA Documents & Outcome Assessments
        • CVM Bookstore
        • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
        • CVM Maintenance Work Request Portal
    • Close
  • Research and Graduate Studies

Biomarker Test for Lou Gehrig’s Disease Useful in Diagnosing Canine Neurodegenerative Disease

Mizzou researchers seek clinical trial participants for further treatment study

Joan Coates currently is seeking clinical trial participants to evaluate a treatment for canine DM.
Joan Coates currently is seeking clinical trial participants to evaluate a treatment for canine DM.

In 2009, Joan Coates, a veterinary neurologist, along with other researchers at the University of Missouri and the Broad Institute at MIT/Harvard, found a genetic link between degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease in people. Now, MU researchers Coates and Michael Garcia, an associate professor in the Division of Biological Sciences, have found that a biomarker test that helps diagnose ALS also can assist with determining a diagnosis for degenerative myelopathy.

Coates is seeking clinical trial participants to evaluate a treatment for canine DM.

In dogs, DM is an older adult onset disease that can eventually lead to paralysis. The neurodegenerative disease has been confirmed in more than 30 pure bred dog breeds, such as Pembroke Welsh corgis, German Shepherd Dogs and boxers, as well as mixed breed dogs. The current genetic test for DM can be useful to breeders and veterinarians in identifying risk for the disease; however, it has limitations when diagnosing DM.

“DM is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that veterinarians must rule out all other diseases that mimic it before coming to a final diagnosis,” said Coates, a professor in the MU Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. “This requires expensive diagnostic procedures such as MRIs of the spinal cord. Now that we know that DM and ALS are related, we are studying ways to diagnose and measure disease progression with similar diagnostic modalities used in ALS patients.”

ALS can be tested using phosphorylated neurofilament heavy proteins (pNF-H) that are released into spinal fluid and blood in humans with ALS. These biomarkers are released during the degeneration of spinal tissues making them a good indicator that ALS is present. Coates and co-principal investigator Garcia tested whether the diagnostic tool could be used in canines.

“I was very excited by the idea that there could be another model that might have many more strength than the existing models,” Garcia said. “So this was a natural fit for me.”

Cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples were collected from DM-affected dogs, including dogs that had a confirmed diagnosis as well as dogs in early stages of the disease. pNF-H concentrations from those samples were compared to samples from age-matched normal dogs and dogs with mimicking diseases.

“We found a significant difference in the DM affected dogs,” Coates said. “pNF-H levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of the DM-affected dogs relative to the control groups, indicating that the human ALS test could be used to diagnose DM. These results will enable us to ‘scale up’ the test to make it more accessible to veterinary community.”

Collecting cerebrospinal fluid from patients is more complicated than a blood test, but is less expensive compared to an MRI to make a presumptive DM diagnosis, Coates said. Nonetheless, pNF-H may serve as a diagnostic tool for diagnosis of DM.

Coates also is conducting clinical trial research for treatment of DM. The goals of the therapies being tested is to slow the progression of neurologic signs of DM and improve quality of life. These therapies are in collaborations with other ALS researchers and funded by the ALS Association and National Institutes of Health. The clinical trials are taking place at the MU Veterinary Health Center (VHC) Small Animal Hospital. To inquire about enrolling a dog, contact Coates at coatesj@missouri.edu.

Collaborations among human health and veterinary clinicians and researchers highlights the multidisciplinary, One Health/One Medicine initiative at Mizzou. The concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of healthcare for humans and animals where biomedical research discoveries and expanding the scientific knowledge base lead to faster improvements benefitting both humans and our pets.

The study, “Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Phosphorylated Neurofilament Heavy as a Diagnostic Marker of Canine Degenerative Myelopathy,” was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Christine Toedebusch, a veterinary neurology resident and doctoral candidate, was lead author on the study. The study was funded in part by the American Boxer Charitable Foundation and the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (Grant #2165). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.

Published by Mizzou News, 329 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO 65211

The D.V.M. – The Dean’s Video Message (January 2023)

https://player.vimeo.com/video/791317020?loop=0

Continuing Education

Opportunities for Missouri Veterinarians and Technicians
View the Seminar Schedule
Online CE Opportunities

Vet Med Online

Vet Tech Program
Undergrad/Pre-Vet Electives
Graduate Program
Course Permission Numbers

CVM Communications

Director of Communications
Tracey Berry
W205 Vet Med Bldg
Columbia, MO 65211
(573)884-2215

Giving to the MU College of Veterinary Medicine

Giving to the College of Veterinary MedicineThe MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri’s only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Thank you for exploring how you can partner with us to make a positive difference in the lives of animals and people.

Whether your interest in supporting our mission to teach, heal, discover and serve is inspired by care your pet received, the desire to help less fortunate animals and their families, an interest in helping the next generation of veterinarians pursue their dreams, or the wish to be a part of a medical breakthrough, we are grateful for your thoughtful consideration. We have many programs that will benefit from additional financial support.

Learn more about how your gift can help the College of Veterinary Medicine.

BIOMED Online

In addition to the four-year professional curriculum leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, the college offers a variety of online (BIOMED) courses. Courses serve as electives for other degree programs, a component to the online health science and bachelor of general studies degrees, as partial requirements in the MU Pre-Veterinary Medicine Scholars Program, and to earn either a thesis or non-thesis master’s degree. BIOMED courses are also recommended electives in meeting the requirements to apply for a DVM program.

University of Missouri Veterinary Online Programs/BIOMED Online

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Biomedical Sciences
Veterinary Pathobiology
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Contact

CVM Director of Communications
CVM Webmaster
College Contacts
(573) 882-3554

FOLLOW

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

RESOURCES

College News
Online Graduate (Masters) Degree Program
Online Undergraduate Courses in Biomedical Science
Undergraduate Microbiology Program
Information Technology Unit
Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
Employment Opportunities
College Contacts
Student Financial Aid
Student Handbook
CVM Academic Calendar
CVM Bookstore

VETERINARY HEALTH CENTER

Emergencies
Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab
Our Location
Client and RDVM Portal
Pharmacy Services
Make an Appointment
Online Bill Pay
Small Animal Hospital
Equine Hospital
Food Animal Hospital
Information for Referring Veterinarians
VHC Wentzville
VHC at Kansas City

OUR LOCATION

Click to open a larger map

© 2022 — Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information.
An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. Disability Resources