Emergencies

Menu
  • About Us
      • About the VHC
      • Our Mission
      • Academic Department
      • Our Location
      • Employment
      • Veterinary Health Center – Wentzville
      • Veterinary Health Center at Kansas City
      • Contact Us
    • Personnel
      • Faculty Clinician Directory
      • Residents and Interns
      • Technical Staff
      • Staff
    • Close
  • Clients
      • Client Information
      • Make an Appointment
      • FAQs
      • Client Billing
      • Pay Your Bill Online
      • ScratchPay
      • Pharmacy Services
      • Clinical Trials
      • Pet Loss Support
      • Client and RDVM Portal
      • Client Satisfaction Survey
      • Touring the VHC
      • Our Columbia Location
      • Lodging
      • Columbia Resources: Ways to Refresh While You Wait
      • Contact Us
    • Close
  • Small Animal

        • Hospital Overview


          573-882-7821
          After Hours: 573-882-4589
          Directions


          Contact Us

      • Anesthesiology
      • Blood Bank
      • Cardiology
      • Community Practice
      • Emergency and Critical Care
      • Internal Medicine
      • Motion Analysis Laboratory
      • Neurology/Neurosurgery
      • Nutrition
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Physical Rehabilitation
      • Radiology
      • Reproduction (Theriogenology)
      • Shelter Medicine
      • Surgery
    • Close
  • Equine

        • Hospital Overview


          573-882-3513
          After Hours: 573-882-4589
          Directions

          Contact Us

      • Ambulatory Service
      • Anesthesiology
      • Internal Medicine
      • Lameness Service
      • Ophthalmology
      • Radiology
      • Reproduction (Theriogenology)
      • Surgical Services
    • Close
  • Food Animal

        • Hospital Overview


          573-882-6857
          After Hours: 573-882-4589
          Directions

          Contact Us

      • Hospital Care
      • Ambulatory Services
      • Anesthesiology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Radiology
      • Reproduction (Theriogenology)
    • Close
  • Referring Vets
      • Referring Veterinarian Information
      • The Referral Process
      • VHC Referral Form
      • VHC Wentzville Referral Form
      • Consultations
      • Overnight Transfers
      • Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
      • RDVM Portal
      • Referring Veterinarian Satisfaction Survey
      • Faculty Clinician Directory
      • Referring Vets Guide (PDF)
    • Close
  • Support the VHC
  • Internal Use
You are here: Home / Small Animal Hospital / Neurology/Neurosurgery / Degenerative Myelopathy Clinical Trial
post

Degenerative Myelopathy Clinical Trial

The MU Veterinary Health Center (VHC) is currently seeking patients for enrollment in clinical trials for degenerative myelopathy (DM) affected dogs. The purpose of these trials are to evaluate promising new drugs as a treatment for DM with hopes to slow disease progression. Depending on the research protocol, dogs will be administered a drug that will repress the production of the mutated protein, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). The drugs have undergone testing in a preclinical setting for safety in dogs. The drug will be injected into the spinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. The studies will be randomized and double-blinded; neither the investigator nor the pet owner will know whether the dog receives the drug.

Please contact Joan Coates, DVM, MS, at 573-882-7821, or by email: coatesj@missouri.edu

We will monitor clinical disease progression and evaluate cerebrospinal fluid, brain MRI and muscle and nerve function. These techniques have been used extensively on ALS patients in order to monitor and predict disease progression. We would like to use these same techniques on DM-affected dogs for monitoring disease progression and to evaluate for efficacy of the drug.

Inclusion Criteria:

History

Slowly progressive loss of coordination over one-to-three months, no signs of waxing or waning, and the owners do not perceive their dog to be in discomfort

Neurologic examination

EARLY DISEASE: Progressive asymmetric general proprioceptive ataxia that is considered mild

Breeds Included

  • Boxers approximately 9 years of age or older at the time of initial examination
  • Pembroke Welsh Corgis approximately 10-11 years of age at the time of initial examination
  • Other breeds older than 9 years old at the time of initial examination

Diagnostic Testing (Performed by a board-certified veterinary neurologist: www.acvim.org)

  • No significant abnormalities on bloodwork, thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound
  • Genetic testing results for SOD1:c.118A mutant homozygotes (A/A – AT RISK)
  • Normal entire spinal cord MRI (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral)
  • Normal CSF analysis
  • Normal electrodiagnostic testing results

Treatments and Follow-up Testing

An informed consent will be signed by the owner and Dr. Coates. The owner must be compliant and return to the MU VHC once a month for repeat injections of the drug (under anesthesia) into the spinal fluid. Follow up electrodiagnostic testing and MRI (at MU VHC) will overlap with the treatment every three months.

Necropsy Confirmation

Following death or at time of euthanasia, the dog will need to be brought to MU VHC for necropsy.  A histopathologic confirmation of DM is required.

The candidate dogs must be able to come to the University of Missouri for treatments, follow-up testing (at every three months) and at the time of euthanasia. It is simpler for participants to be within driving distance. If the first few treatments are without complications, it is possible that a board-certified veterinary neurologist located nearer to a participant’s residence will also be able to assist with therapy administration.

Neurology/Neurosurgery

  • Your Appointment
  • Facts on Neurologic Diseases
  • Degenerative Myelopathy Clinical Trial
  • Meet the Team
  • How You Can Help

Contact

Small Animal Hospital
573-882-7821; After Hours: 573-882-4589

 

Equine Hospital
573-882-3513; After Hours: 573-882-4589

 

Food Animal Hospital
573-882-6857; After Hours: 573-882-4589

 

VHC at Wentzville
636-332-5041

 

VHC Kansas City
816-455-5430

Our Location

900 E. Campus Drive, Columbia, MO Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Giving to the VHC

The MU Veterinary Health Center is a leader in animal disease diagnosis, patient care and education. Individuals and corporations from all over the world are making a difference every day by providing support for our facilities, programs, students and faculty.

Learn how you can help us continue to provide the most cutting-edge, compassionate care.
© 2020 — Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information. An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. | Contact the College of Veterinary Medicine | College of Veterinary Medicine