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NEWS
Doubling Her Efforts
Researcher, animal-lover and academic dynamo Katherine Meiser completes the first step of her dual-degree dream. Katherine Meiser earned her undergraduate degree at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the nation’s preeminent school for the deaf. So, as she recounts her scholastic journey to the University of Missouri and graduate school, her hands tell the story via American Sign Language with graceful clarity. But when she found herself at an academic crossroads in 2015, the way forward wasn’t as clear. She loved biology (her undergraduate major), research and — as the owner of two dogs, two cats, two snakes and an iguana…
Feline Genetics Help Pinpoint First-Ever Domestication of Cats, MU Study Finds
Cat genes reveal how invention of agriculture bonded cats with people in ancient Mesopotamia, leading to worldwide feline migration with humans. Nearly 10,000 years ago, humans settling in the Fertile Crescent, the areas of the Middle East surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made the first switch from hunter-gatherers to farmers. They developed close bonds with the rodent-eating cats that conveniently served as ancient pest-control in society’s first civilizations. A new study at the University of Missouri found this lifestyle transition for humans was the catalyst that sparked the world’s first domestication of cats, and as humans began to travel…
BREATHE Easy: VHC Internal Medicine Specialists Launch New Clinic
In March 2021, Steve Kasper’s 9-year-old beagle mix, Spirit, began refusing to go on her daily 4-mile walk. Suddenly, Spirit was easily getting winded. Based on her clinical picture and the appearance of her lungs on radiographs, her veterinarian suspected the dog had contracted a fungal infection and referred Kasper, of Battlefield, Missouri, and Spirit to the MU Veterinary Health Center. Aida Vientós-Plotts, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, assistant professor of small animal internal medicine, ran a series of diagnostic tests on Spirit including a computed tomography (CT) scan of her chest. Based on those findings, she suspected that the dog had…
‘Click’ Chemistry May Help Treat Dogs With Bone Cancer, MU Study Finds
The scientific discovery, which recently earned a Nobel Prize in chemistry, may efficiently deliver radioactive cancer treatments to tumors while reducing side effects. In September, researchers from California and Denmark were awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of ‘click’ chemistry, a process in which molecules snap together like LEGO, making them a potentially more efficient transportation device in delivering pharmaceuticals to cancer tumors. Now, in a recent study, a researcher at the University of Missouri has successfully shown for the first time how click chemistry can be used to more efficiently deliver drugs to treat tumors in…
Monkeypox Mutations Cause Virus to Spread Rapidly, Evade Drugs and Vaccines, MU Study Finds
Researchers show how monkeypox mutations cause virus to replicate, spread faster. Monkeypox has infected more than 77,000 people in more than 100 countries worldwide, and — similar to COVID-19 — mutations have enabled the virus to grow stronger and smarter, evading antiviral drugs and vaccines in its mission to infect more people. Now, a team of researchers at the University of Missouri have identified the specific mutations in the monkeypox virus that contribute to its continued infectiousness. The findings could lead to several outcomes: modified versions of existing drugs used to treat people suffering from monkeypox or the development of…
Longhorned Tick Discovered in Northern Missouri for First Time, MU Researchers Find
Discovery indicates looming problem for cattle health in the Midwest. The Longhorned tick causes the loss of millions of dollars in agricultural revenue to cattle producers worldwide, and it is now in northern Missouri. Originally found in eastern Russia and the Australasian region, this tick was first found in the United States in 2017 in New Jersey. It has since reached the Mid-Atlantic, New England and Midwestern regions of the U.S., and now has been discovered in northern Missouri for the first time by researchers at the University of Missouri. Last year, the Longhorned tick was found in the southern…
Prenatal Opioid Exposure May Trigger Neurological, Behavioral Changes Later in Life
MU study links changes in gut bacteria to prenatal exposure to oxycodone, a commonly abused opioid during pregnancy. While infants exposed to opioids during their mother’s pregnancy have been linked to adverse health outcomes, a new study at the University of Missouri has found prenatal opioid exposure could trigger long-term neurological or behavioral effects later in a child’s life. The key is the opioid’s impact on the developing fetus’ gut microbiome – a collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that naturally live inside the guts of all humans and animals and can serve as a barometer for overall health and…
Clever COVID-19
MU researchers show how the evolving virus evades antibodies from vaccines, previous infections. As new Omicron subvariants of COVID-19 continue to sweep across the United States, researchers at the University of Missouri have identified specific mutations within the virus’ spike protein that help Omicron subvariants evade existing antibodies humans have from either vaccines or previous COVID-19 infections. These mutations help explain why some people are continuing to test positive for the coronavirus, which, like most viruses, continues to evolve. The findings can help developers of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines consider which parts of the virus to target going forward to…
CVM Faculty Innovations in 2021
MU College of Veterinary Medicine CVM faculty members were able to make discoveries and generate innovations in myriad areas in 2021 thanks in part to their access to a unique combination of resources and disciplines at Missouri’s largest public research university. Researchers who believe they have an innovation with commercial potential report their inventions to the Office of Technology and Advancement, which evaluates each invention for novelty, utility and market potential after discussions with contributors and an analysis of scientific and patent literature, potential competitors and other factors. CVM Innovators with Patents, Commercial Agreements, Startup Companies and First Product Sales…
MU ReCHAI Finds Important Effects of Pet Ownership on Families of Children with Autism
April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is conducting studies focused on the disorder. Autism, as defined by Autism Speaks, an advocacy charity dedicated to promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families, is a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. The spectrum of severity varies greatly among those who are affected. Gretchen Carlisle, PhD, a research scientist at ReCHAI, has been studying children with autism and pets for 10 years,…
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