A clue for hairless dog!

Hairy Dogs

Mexican hairless dog were sacred by the Aztecs and... Read more...

WHITE SPOTTING

Differences among dog breeds have intrigued... Read more...

Home

Dog genetics to unravel human diseases

Dogs are more than man’s best friends; they can help us unravelling the genetic of diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, cardiovascular troubles or inflammatory disorders as diabetes or thyroid unbalance. Living in the same environment human and dogs are often suffering from the same complex diseases but the genetic complexity is lower in dogs. During 4 years (2008-2011) twenty veterinary schools from 12 countries spread across Europe will work together to collect 10.000 DNA samples from purebred dogs healthy or affected by similar diseases as human.

The analysis of the genome of affected dogs compared to healthy ones of the same breed will lead to the identification of genes implied in the mechanisms of these diseases. This project will first generate genetic markers1 for dog diseases and help to reduce the high level of inherited canine disease in purebred dogs. Then identification of the genes implied in disease development will allow to understand the mechanisms and pathways of the pathology. Human medicine will ultimately benefit from these results.That's why the LUPA project has been named after the female wolf that fed the twin founders of Rome to reflect the benefits human will obtain from dog genetics.

1 Genetic markers: a specific DNA sequences lying on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and the gene are inherited together associated with the development of diseases.

LUPA is a Collaborative Project supported by funding under the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Commission in the Health domain.This website represents the views of the Authors, not the European Commission. The Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information.

Contact email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

European Commission              Framework Programme 7 

 

 

 

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail