Wisdom Panel helps researchers develop a tool to eradicate blindness in English Shepherd Dogs
When the distraught owner of an English Shepherd Dog that had been working as a search and rescue dog had to retire due to visual deterioration that had resulted in total blindness contacted researchers at the University of Cambridge, it was an easy decision to delve further into what may be causing this life changing condition. Working in partnership with the Cambridge researchers, as part of the Consortium to Research Inherited Eye Diseases in Dogs (CRIEDD), Wisdom Panel contributed by providing genotyping data from English Shepherd dogs diagnosed with the blinding condition to identify the genetic mutation that caused the blindness, enabling a DNA test to be developed for it.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a group of inherited diseases that causes progressive degeneration of the light sensitive cells at the back of the eye. Dogs with PRA have normal sight at birth, but by the age of four or five they will be totally blind. There is no treatment.
“An owner won't necessarily notice their dog has got anything wrong with its eyes until it starts bumping into the furniture. Unlike humans who will speak up if their sight isn’t right, dogs just have to get on with things,” said Dr. Cathryn Mellersh in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine, senior author of the report.
Following the call from the distressed owner, researchers put out a call for DNA samples from other owners or breeders of this breed and received samples from six English Shepherds with the same condition and twenty without it. This was enough for them to pinpoint the genetic mutation responsible for PRA using whole genome sequencing.
By identifying dogs carrying the disease before their eyesight starts to fail, a tool can be provided to guide breeding decisions, so the disease is not passed on to puppies. The new discovery means that progressive retinal atrophy can now be completely eliminated from the English Shepherd Dog population very quickly.
“Once the dog’s eyesight starts to fail there’s no treatment – it will end up totally blind,” said Dr. Katherine Stanbury, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and first author of the report. She added: “Now we have a DNA test, there’s no reason why another English Shepherd Dog ever needs to be born with this form of progressive retinal atrophy – it gives breeders a way of totally eliminating the disease.”
PRA occurs in many dog breeds including the English Shepherd Dog. And it is similar to a disease called retinitis pigmentosa in humans, which also causes blindness. The researchers say that their work with dogs could shed light on the human version of the disease and potentially identify targets for gene therapy in the future.
Dr. Rebecca Chodroff Foran, Senior Director of R&D at Wisdom Panel, said, “It is wonderful to see our research being used in this way, demonstrating how we can improve pet health outcomes through innovative solutions that focus on how we can predict, diagnose and monitor wellness and disease, underscoring our commitment to our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.”
Read the full story on the University of Cambridge website(Opens a new window).
