Golden Retriever Lifetime Study Research Data & Samples

 

 

GOLDEN RETRIEVER LIFETIME STUDY - DATA AND SAMPLES AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a longitudinal study established in 2012 with a cohort of 3,044 dogs at full enrollment in 2015. Primary Study endpoints include lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, high-grade mast cell tumors and osteosarcoma. Secondary Study endpoints cover a variety of diseases affecting the breed, including other cancers. Now in its 10th year, the Study provides a rich data set for researchers from universities, nonprofit and governmental organizations as well as private industry.

Dog owners and veterinarians are completing annual questionnaires, clinical exams and sample collection over each dog’s lifetime. These data and samples are now available for research questions in areas such as genetics, disease conditions, environmental factors, nutrition and behavior to improve canine health. While the Study was established to determine risk factors for major cancers, the data and samples can be used to explore many other aspects of canine health. All applications must be received through Fluxx.

Interested in data only? Check out our Data Commons to see if our existing datasets meet your needs.

RFP Open Period: 8/14/24 - 10/16/24


APPLY FOR:
DATA AND/OR SAMPLES (ACADEMIC)
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP (INDUSTRY)
All Golden Retriever Lifetime Study samples are being moved to a new biorepository to optimize storage and improve distribution to interested researchers. For the duration of 2024, our samples will be registered within the new repository and processing time for sample requests may be delayed.

On This Page

PROPOSAL APPLICATION FLOWCHART

Below you will find a flowchart that describes the process for a typical university-based research proposal. (This does not apply to grants funded by Morris Animal Foundation).
1. Feasibility Review, Researcher reviews available data/samples to ensure project is feasible, Researcher submits project proposal via the submission form, Researcher responds to proposal questions as needed, Researcher receives proposal decision from Morris Animal Foundation (Turnaround Time: 2-3 weeks on average from end of application period); 2. Materials Transfer: Materials Transfer Agreement is completed and signed by all parties, Data and/or samples are transferred from Morris Animal Foundation (Turnaround Time: 4-6 weeks from Materials Transfer Agreement Completion); 3. Reporting, Status report completed by researcher and submitted to Morris Animal Foundation every 6 months, Include Morris Animal Foundation acknowledgment in publication (See FAQ for wording), Publish results and send citation to Morris Animal Foundation

AVAILABLE DATA

Annual Owner Questionnaire contains information on each dog’s lifestyle, travel history, reproductive history, physical activity, over-the-counter medications, at-home dental care, grooming history, diet and feeding practices, environment, living conditions and exposures, flea/tick and heartworm preventives, and a behavioral questionnaire (C-BARQ).

Annual Veterinarian Questionnaire includes data on each dog’s medical history, physical exam findings including height at withers, weight and body condition score, a map of superficial masses, vaccination history and prescription medication history.

Endpoint tiers are used to evaluate confidence in each cancer diagnosis.

CONFIDENCE TIER CATEGORY
DEFINITIVE

1
(MICROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED)

 POSITIVE HISTOLOGY OR CYTOLOGY REVIEWED BY A BOARDCERTIFIED PATHOLOGIST. FOR LYMPHOMA, FLOW CYTOMETRY OR PARR ACCEPTED
PRESUMPTIVE

2
(NOT MICROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED)

 DIRECT VISUALIZATION OR IMAGING WITHOUT MICROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION. FOR LYMPHOMA, IN-HOUSE CYTOLOGY
PRESUMPTIVE 3
(CLINICAL SUSPICION)		 CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS ONLY

 

AVAILABLE SAMPLES
SPECIMEN STORAGE CONDITIONS AMOUNT COLLECTED AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS
GENOMIC DNA -80 °C N/A ALIQUOTS ADJUSTED TO 100NG/ µL
WHOLE BLOOD -80 °C 10 ML 250 µL OR 1 ML ALIQUOTS
SERUM -80 °C 10 ML 250 µL OR 1 ML ALIQUOTS
URINE -80 °C 5 ML 250 µL OR 1 ML ALIQUOTS
FECES -80 °C ~1 GRAM DISCUSS WITH STUDY TEAM
HAIR CLIPPING -20 °C 2" LONG LOCK, 1/4" IN DIAMETER 1 SAMPLE
NAIL CLIPPINGS -20 °C 5-10 CLIPPINGS 1 SAMPLE
FFPE BLOCKS AMBIENT WHOLE BLOCK SCANNED SLIDES IN PROGRESS SLIDES
TISSUE IN RNALATER* -80 °C 5 MM3 TISSUE SAMPLE IN 5 ML VIAL 5 ML VIAL

*All samples are collected in veterinary practice and are shipped overnight to our biorepository. An ice pack was included in the shipment starting in November 2023.

^Core samples collected at all annual visits include whole blood, serum, urine, feces, hair clippings, and nail clippings. For biopsy and/or necropsy visits, tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue are collected. Core samples are requested at the veterinarian’s discretion.

DATA DASHBOARD

Study Journal Articles
READ STUDY JOURNAL ARTICLES

All publications using GRLS data and/or samples should include the following acknowledgments

Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Morris Animal Foundation, its staff members and all participants in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, including the dog owners, their golden retrievers and the Study veterinarians who made this work possible. 

Funding: The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and this manuscript were made possible through financial support provided by the Morris Family Foundation, the Mark & Bette Morris Family Foundation, VCA, the V Foundation, Blue Buffalo Company, Petco Love, Zoetis, Antech Inc., Elanco, the Purina Institute, Orvis, the Golden Retriever Foundation, the Hadley and Marion Stuart Foundation, Mars Veterinary, generous private donors and the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.