A novel therapy tested by University of Guelph scientists for treating a fatal heart disorder in dogs might ultimately help in diagnosing and treating heart disease in humans.
Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) professors Glen Pyle and Lynne O’Sullivan have also identified potential causes of inherited dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or “weak heart.”
The groundbreaking study was published this month in the American Journal of Physiology.
“The cardiovascular systems of dogs and people are very similar,” said Pyle, a professor in OVC’s Department of Biomedical Sciences and a member of U of G’s Centre for Cardiovascular Investigations.
“It allows us do comparative investigations that can advance understanding of this fatal condition.”
In both dogs and people with DCM, the weakened heart muscle becomes unable to pump blood around the body. The cause of the problem is often unknown, although it’s common to involve genetics.
Read the entire UofG news release here.
The research was featured on CTV News-Kitchener.
Lynne O’Sullivan (back to camera) and Glen Pyle conduct a cardiology exam on Roxy. Doberman pinschers are prone to inherited dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Also pictured are vet tech Heidi Chambers and owner Phyllis Markle.