Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
Population Medicine And Diagnostic Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Rationale: The study of naturally-occurring coagulation disorders in animals provides insight into basic physiologic processes and disease-causing mechanisms common to all species. Coagulation studies must be performed using samples collected from living animals in order to evaluate complex reactions among blood cells, and procoagulant and anticoagulantn proteins. The animal diseases we study represent models of known human disease and/or newly identified hemostatic defects. Research methods used to evaluate coagulation include laboratory assays that measure the function and/or concentration of various coagulation factors and platelets (small cell fragments that play a critical role in normal and abnormal clot formation). The study of genetic disorders in animals includes molecular analyses and pedigree studies to identify disease genes and mutations within genes that cause bleeding disorders. Additional procedures and tests are used to monitor response to transfusion (for bleeding disorders) and anticoagulant therapy (for thrombotic or excessive coagulation disorders). Benefits: Our study goals include the development of effective diagnostic, prevention, and treatment strategies for hemostatic defects in animals and human beings. The results of comparative research are readily translated into clinical veterinary medicine for the direct benefit of animals, and have potential applications in improving outcomes for the corresponding diseases in human beings. Recent projects have resulted in improved clinical diagnosis of platelet function defects in dogs, development of assays to guide heparin dosage for animals, and new test modalities for assessing drug-induced risk of blood clot formation in early pre-treatment drug trials.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Our major objectives are the diagnosis and characterization of animal models of naturally occurring hemostatic disease. Our comparative research focuses on hereditary and acquired hemorrhagic and thrombotic disorders in animals to gain understanding of basic hemostatic mechanisms common to all species. Specific areas of interest include development of diagnostic tools and techniques to study animal coagulation and platelet function, and biochemical and molecular genetic analyses to discover the regulatory pathways involved in pathologic and physiologic thrombus formation.
Project Methods
Spontaneous animal diseases are identified through clinical diagnostic service and collaborative studies with veterinarians and other biomedical researchers. Select canine models of hemophilia and platelet dysfunction are maintained for ongoing studies in the physiologic processes of fibrin formation and platelet activation and in translational research in various aspects of transfusion medicine. Genetic analyses of hereditary disorders encompass the identification of disease genes and disease causing mutations, and discovery of modifier genes that influence clinical expression of bleeding disorders.