Inflamatory Bowel Disease

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Update on research

PLoS ONE: Polymorphisms in the Tlr4 and Tlr5 Gene Are Significantly Associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in German Shepherd Dogs

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This is the link about the original grant for research
MAF Grant

I believe the RVC want more dogs for research pre treatment when I find out more I will post.

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This is what I have been sent:
The Royal Veterinary College needs YOUR help to increase understanding of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs!
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gut that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, bloody stools, sometimes with mucus, weight loss, and in severe cases can lead to wasting due to chronic protein loss. It is the most common cause of these clinical signs in dogs and several breeds seem to be at a higher risk of developing the disease. Unfortunately, the German Shepherd Dog is one of them; and the susceptibility of this breed to develop the disease is very likely influenced by genetic as well as environmental factors.
It is well known that the diagnosis and management of IBD in dogs can be difficult and frustrating. Also, up to now the relationship between “true” IBD and other diseases like for example food “allergy” (otherwise known as food-responsive chronic enteropathy or food hypersensitivity) and antibiotic-responsive conditions (formerly known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is unknown and it is very well possible that these diseases have a common or similar cause.
Hence we need to understand the condition better in order to find optimal treatment strategies for every patient. We would like to call attention to new and ongoing research into canine IBD at the Royal Veterinary College. The research is led by Dr. Karin Allenspach, European Specialist in Internal Medicine, who heads up a research team that includes three PhD students, a post doctoral research scientist and several BVetMed undergraduates and Residents in Internal Medicine.
Our group is interested in both the genetic background and environmental triggers of IBD with a focus on the innate and adaptive immune mechanisms and intestinal bacteria involved. Several projects are investigating mutations in genes involved in specific immune functions in German Shepherd Dogs with (and without) IBD.
We are also currently conducting three different clinical trials at the Queen Mother Hospital for dogs looking into new therapeutic approaches to the disease.
We would therefore like to encourage owners and vets to consider referring dogs with chronic symptoms of the stomach, the small or large intestine to the Royal Veterinary College.
We will be happy to discuss cases and their potential suitability for the different ongoing clinical trials. Patients will be managed by clinicians board-certified in Internal Medicine and specially trained nurses in the college’s Clinical Investigation Centre. Financial support is available for some of the diagnostic and management costs for patients suitable for inclusion in a clinical trial.
If you are interested in these trials or would like to discuss a possible case of IBD in a dog, please contact the Clinical Investigation Centre on 01707 666605 or cic@rvc.ac.uk. Your support is very much appreciated!
READ MORE – http://www.gsdleague.co.uk/Flyer%20IBD.pdf

Karin Allenspach, Dr.med.vet. PhD Dipl ECVIM-CA MRCVS
Silke Schmitz, Dr. med.vet. MRCVS
Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College

[super D]

Very informative, thanks PAm xx