Page 8 - ACT Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2023
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Your support funds





       life-saving research







       The Companion Animal                                  investigation of pathophysiology of neurological
       Brain Bank                                            diseases at the cellular and molecular level e.g.
                                                             characterisation of disrupted cellular pathways,
       An RVC animal brain bank, funded by the RVC Animal Care  identification of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and
       Trust, is helping researchers understand brain injuries in   understanding the microenvironment of brain tumours.
       dogs, cats and newborn babies. The Companion Animal   This greater disease understanding has the potential to
       Brain Bank (CABB) collects and stores samples of brain   improve diagnosis and drive the development of new
       tissue and other biological specimens for research and   treatments for human and veterinary patients.”
       educational purposes. Established in 2016, it facilitates   The CABB has founded two important collaborative
       translational research to benefit pets and humans with   projects. Working with the Oxford Autoimmune
       comparable diseases and injuries.
                                                             Neurology Group, researchers are studying inflammation
       Over the last 30 years, significant advances in neurological  of the brain in cats and humans. Similarities between
       disease research have resulted from examining human and  the two species is providing exciting scope for progress.
       animal brain tissue. However, there has been a shortage   The second project, a partnership with King's College
       of brain tissue available to researchers globally. Sadly,   London, is examining brain injuries in dogs and cats.
       each year the RVC euthanises 100 dogs and cats due to   A particular area of interest is brain injuries in newborn
       neurological conditions. The CABB is a significant step   babies, in which diagnosis and prognosis remain
       forward in advancing knowledge and developing treatments  extremely challenging.
       for these complex and distressing diseases.
                                                             Our funding enabled the purchase of a freezer which has
       The RVC lead on this project, Dr Abbe Crawford, said,   a temperature of minus 80 C. The CABB can therefore
                                                                                     o
       “Companion animal brain tissue facilitates detailed   carefully store donated tissue.


        Dr Abbe Crawford
                                                                Dr Abbe Crawford, Clinician in Neurology
                                                                and Neurosurgery

                                                                        We are so grateful to
                                                                owners for their kindness in
                                                                allowing their pets to be such

                                                                an important contribution to
                                                                research. We hope that knowing
                                                                their animals are contributing
                                                                to disease understanding and

                                                                scientific advancement can be
                                                                of comfort to them.








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