Lyons Feline and Comparative Genetics Laboratory is currently performing protein and genetic studies, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using DNA arrays to identify the causal DNA variant(s) for Amyloidosis both in Abyssinian/Somali and Siamese/Oriental felines. They are short of control samples from healthy older cats.

If you have an older Siamese, Oriental or Balinese (12+, though the researchers will take younger) could you please get a sample sent to Dr. Lyons? They also need more samples from the unfortunate cats who pass young, particularly the 2 and 3-year olds. There has been some confusion because they did not know that there are a lot that go at 6 or 7 from amyloidosis, as they were focused on the early onset ones. So, they need blood or tissue from Congo-red positive on pathology or liver fracture as cause of death on necropsy young cats, and blood or buccal samples from old cats that are healthy. Dr. Longeri is collecting and processing samples in Europe, Dr. Lyons in the U.S. This is collaborative work.

We COULD have a test in a year or a few is we can get enough good samples to the researchers. The full genomes that they have done have given them places to look in other samples. More info about the research project be found here http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/feline-resea…/amyloidosis.

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