Glaucoma Research News

15.11.2012

Dandie Dinmont Terrier glaucoma research update

The latest research among glaucoma in Dandie Dinmont Terriers has been a sequencing of the whole previously identified 10 Mb chromosomal region. As a result we have identified ~18000 variations in each sequenced dog. After comparing affected cases (5) and healthy controls (5) we still have several hundred variations to go through and to study whether any of them is associated with the studied disease. After further filtering based on the variant type and the functions of the gene where the variant is, they need to be studied in a larger sample set of affected and healthy dogs. The research is all the time ongoing, but it seems that glaucoma in DDTs is genetically quite complex.

We are currently writing a scientific paper about the results we have gotten thus far and the goals we have already achieved in revealing of the genetics of canine glaucoma. We already known in which one of the canine 39 chromosomes the glaucoma region is and we have also narrowed the region to a specific 10 Mb region. We have as well studied dogs clinically to get more information about DDT glaucoma. A detailed report about the paper will be given to breed clubs as soon as the paper is published.

New samples from all dogs are still being collected. Especially samples from glaucoma affected dogs are extremely important for the research.

The research has gotten several donations to the DDT research and we are very thankful of the financial support of any kind. All these donations will be used for the genetic study in DDTs.

Best regards

Saija Ahonen, MSc
Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences and Medical Genetics
University of Helsinki and
Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics