Foundation announces grants for canine, feline health research

Morris Animal Foundation announced nine newly funded studies to improve canine health and five to improve feline health.

The grants for canine health research total nearly $830,000 and support nine researchers at seven universities. The canine studies funded for 2017 in the 2016 grant cycle focus on the following: 

• Controlling the spread of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus infection.
• Finding new therapy targets for mast cell tumors.
• Evaluating a new treatment for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
• Curbing tumor growth and chemotherapy resistance in canine hemangiosarcoma.
• Developing a canine influenza vaccine.
• Investigating gallbladder disease.
• Understanding the genetic risk of developing calcium oxalate urinary stones.
• Searching for genetic mutations for inherited ocular melanosis.
• Detecting and preventing bladder stones in Miniature Schnauzers.

The grants for feline health research total nearly $568,000 and support five research teams at four universities. The feline research funded for 2017 in the 2016 grant cycle focuses on the following:

• Investigating a new treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
• Studying cats with a protective immune response to feline enteric coronavirus, which can mutate and cause feline infectious peritonitis, with the aim of identifying targets for a vaccine strategy.
• Investigating the effectiveness of a novel drug to maintain and extend diabetic remission in cats.
• The use of DNA sequencing technology to better understand the biological mechanisms that help cats fight off viral infections.
• Studying methods of measuring chronic pain in cats with osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint diseases to improve diagnostic and treatment strategies.