Health Grants Aid many Research Projects

Bob McCaskill, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Health Committee

Summer 2004, NEWS

The Westie Foundation of America, Inc., began its financial support of research grant proposals into diseases affecting Westies in 1998. In the few years since, we have offered full or partial funding to twenty-one grant proposals and will fund an additional three proposals during 2004.

Canine Atopy is undoubtedly the single most significant disease affecting our breed. We know from Dr. George Padgett's interpretation of the first health survey that 47% of Westies either have the disease or a predisposition for the disease. From Dr. Thierry Olivry's work, we are aware that Canine Atopy cases among Westies are of a more severe nature than in other breeds.

Because Canine Atopy impacts so many Westies - and their families - and because it can result in financial hardship for the owner due to cost of treatment and, for the dog, pain, suffering, and, in extreme situations, euthanasia, WFA's Board of Directors has supported research on this disease with funding in excess of $29,000.

From its earliest days, our Foundation has funded atopy research at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine where a team sought to identify those cutaneous mast cell phenotype traits associated with dogs that predispose to canine atopy. Their research has found that a specific lectin was present in significant numbers in those dogs with atopy as compared to non-atopic dogs. The findings of this study led to a grant proposal that would attempt to isolate this lectin in basophiles and mast cells; this second study - also funded by the WFA - is now in its second year. The researchers report they have met all objectives of the grant and expect to isolate the lectin associated with canine atopy. A call for case studies is now out.

The Foundation provided funding support to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine for a grant proposal attempting to determine if dogs affected with Malassezia pachydermatitis develop type 1 immune response to the organism. The result: dogs do not develop an immune response to the organism.

We provided financial support to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine on a study relating to the use of 3% tacrolimus lotion for the treatment of Canine Atopy. The result: tacrolimus lotion could be used safely in the breed as an alternative therapy. However, the current high price of the 3% solution probably precludes wide use of this therapy.

In cooperation with the Morris Animal Foundation, the WFA assisted in the funding of a grant proposal at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine on Rush Immunotherapy as an atopy treatment. The investigators involved with this study report major success including cures in young atopic dogs through utilization of their new protocol. We will be hearing more of this in the coming months.

At its Spring 2004 meeting the WFA Board of Directors voted to offer significant financial support for a grant request by Dr. Olivry for Gene Mapping of Atopic Dermatitis in the West Highland White Terrier. Should Dr. Olivry's proposal receive final approval from the AKC/CHF and his research then achieve its goal, we could see the DNA Marker for Atopic Dermatitis in the West Highland White Terrier identified within the next five years. This is, indeed, a remarkable project.

Craniomandibular Osteopathy, shortened to CMO, is a disease most often associated with Westies, Cairns, and Scotties. In cooperation with the health foundations of our cousin breeds, we supported a research grant at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine aimed at developing a DNA test for this disease. Wayne Kompare provides an update on this research project elsewhere in this issue of the News.

Our first health survey identified Addison's Disease as being of significant proportion among Westies. The Foundation, therefore, supported research undertaken at the University of California - Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on Characterizing the Inheritance of Addison's Disease. Volunteer Karen Lindberg has been key in obtaining more than 250 DNA samples and an equal number of breed pedigrees for the principal investigator, Dr. Anita Oberbauer, at that institution. Karen has provided an update on the progress of this research elsewhere in this special issue of our quarterly newsletter. In April 2004 the Board of Directors voted to co-sponsor with the Canine Health Foundation a grant proposal by Dr. Oberbauer to establish the Genetic Linkage Between Addison's Disease and DNA Markers.

At the same time, we also voted to fund a grant proposal submitted to the AKC/CHF by the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine working to develop a pre-clinical detection test for Addison's Disease. Progress of this project was stopped due to health problems of the principal investigator but is now back on track to meet their objectives.

Westies are also affected by Juvenile Cataracts. Given the opportunity to support a grant in conjunction with the Canine Health Foundation at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine working on the Identification of the Genetic Cause or Causes for Cataracts in Several Breeds, we chose to participate to requested limits. Our investigators completed their study and provided their results to a commercial laboratory for FDA approval; this laboratory is in the process of seeking FDA approval to market the test.

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is one of several problems related to rear leg lameness in Westies. We were able to join with the Canine Health Foundation in supporting a grant proposal made by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine to identify a mucopoly-saccharide associated with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and with patella luxations in the Miniature Pinscher. Our investigators were able to identify the genetic mutation associated with patella luxations in that breed and are now focusing on finding correlation of this gene with Perthes. Dawn Diemer chairs the task force of volunteers that will coordinate the collection of DNA samples and pedigrees for the principal investigator.

In 2003, the Westie Foundation of America provided funding to support research by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in the area of Immunopathology of Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Although not a disease identified by our health survey as being of principal concern, conversations with Westie breeders across the country indicated this was a disease seen more often than desired in the breed. Our investigators report that they are on track and expect to meet the goals of the research.

In 2004, our Foundation, in conjunction with the Canine Health Foundation, was able to support a grant proposal made by three leading veterinary colleges: the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and the University of California - Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. This was the first grant approved that supported a Westie-only disease. This grant began in January 2004; at this time, our principal investigator in the United States indicates that their research needs cases. Dr. Frederic Askin chairs our IPF Task Force and he is now seeking volunteers within the Westie community to assist in coordination of information and cases for this disease. Please realize that in order to assist with this project, you do not have to have a Westie affected with IPF.

Since the Westie Foundation of America's inception, we have been able to donate more than $122,000 toward research projects related to Westie health issues. In doing so, we have established a strong reputation with health foundations of other breeds and with research institutions. We have established ourselves within our breed community as being quite serious about eliminating health issues in Westies. The IPF and Canine Atopy research projects are focusing only on Westies.

However, more is still to be done. The Foundation will always need your dollars to be able to continue to support research. To date, we have been very fortunate to have sound leadership that has quickly raised money through different programs. But we need more than money - our researchers also need cases. We not only need IPF cases but also Westies affected with Addison's Disease, Legg-Calve-Perthes, and Canine Atopy. If you know of cases or know someone who knows of a case, contact one of our task force members. If you want to be a volunteer and serve on one of our health task forces, contact us.