completed studies
Since our founding in 1948, Morris Animal Foundation has funded more than $51 million in research to protect, treat, and cure the world’s companion animals and wildlife.
Along the way, our studies have led to major advances in veterinary care, including vaccines and other preventions, diagnostic tools and new therapies for the diseases and health conditions that threaten the lives of the animals we love. You can search our completed-study database by species and/or disease to learn more about our successes.
INSTRUCTIONS - Select a division from the left column, a disease or disorder from the middle column, and a study ID number from the right column.
D05CA-622: “Ion Channel Genes and Idiopathic Epilepsy in Dogs”
principal investigator: Lena DeTar, student, University of Minnesota
completed
Project Mentor: James R. Mickelson, PhD
This project targeted 25 genes (specifically acetylcholine receptor genes, potassium channel genes and GABA receptor genes) implicated in human epilepsy in order to find out if they played a part in canine epilepsy. The investigator located a small portion of each gene, the allele that could be traced from grandsire/granddam to sire/dam to puppy and then compared the inheritance pattern of that allele to the pattern of epilepsy in the canine population. Unfortunately, none of the 25 genes in the study were found to contribute to epilepsy in the three breeds studied, but the tools created for this project will be used to test other breeds for epilepsy and other diseases.
Lena says, "This research has definitely made me more aware of the research opportunities for students, clinicians, residents and others in the veterinary field."
