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Better therapies for

autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases, where the body’s own Here are some research projects
immune system attacks cells, can lead to severe supported by our fundraisers:
illnesses that require intensive care and carefully
monitored prolonged treatments. Common
autoimmune conditions in dogs include immune- Finding new biomarkers
mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA, where red for bespoke treatment
blood cells are damaged or destroyed by the
immune system) and immune thrombocytopenia Often dogs are treated according to fixed treatment
(IMTP, where the body attacks platelets which help protocols, but for some dogs, this isn't sufficient to control
the blood to clot). the disease or can cause excessive side effects. The RVC

These conditions can be life-threatening and are often is identifying new markers that can guide the treatment
treated with blood transfusions and medications which of individual dogs with IMHA so medication can be tailored
suppress the immune system. In some dogs, medications for each individual dog, to better manage their condition
can cause side effects that negatively impact their quality and reduce side effects.
of life. Almost all research into canine autoimmune
diseases is conducted in large specialist veterinary ImmunoBank stores samples
hospitals. However, many dogs are diagnosed and treated for future research
in local first-opinion veterinary practices, which means
current information may not reflect real-world trends. The RVC has created a bank of biological samples
To address the shortage of information, RVC researchers by collecting surplus blood, urine and stool samples
are seeking additional data from first opinion practices from dogs with autoimmune diseases like IMHA, IMTP,
whilst exploring better therapies for this family of diseases. immune mediated polyarthritis (IMPA) and steroid
responsive meningitis (SRMA). When pets have tests,
Dr Barbara Glanemann, Associate Professor in often some of the sample is left over and would normally
Small Animal Internal Medicine: be thrown away but instead, with the owner’s consent,
these samples can be saved for research to improve the
IMHA is a devasting diagnosis and treatment of dogs with the same disease.
disease that can take loved Establishing a fund for

ones so quickly. the future

New ideas and questions constantly arise in IMHA
Dr Barbara Glanemann treatment. This dedicated fund generated by our IMHA
fundraisers enables RVC researchers to create small
research projects to start to address these. This flexibility
enables novel project ideas to be developed which can
be expanded to larger studies if they appear promising.
One such project which benefitted from this fund, was
the development of RNA sequencing using blood cells
from dogs with IMHA. RNA is made by copying DNA
code and enables cells to follow instructions in their
genes (i.e. their genetic code). By studying this, we can
see which genes are being expressed appropriately and
inappropriately in a cell at any one time. It’s hoped RNA
sequencing will identify the reasons why IMHA develops
and progresses. Preliminary work was possible due to
our fundraisers and helped obtain further funding to
understand the development and progression of the
disease on a larger scale.
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