Feline Infectious Peritonitis

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Three feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) projects were approved from the Bria Fund.

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/HEALTH_STUDY_GRANTS_2008.pdf


BRIA FUND PROJECTS


#08-004: Molecular basis of feline coronavirus pathogenesis and development of FIP in cats


Gary R. Whittaker, PhD; Cornell University; $15,000

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a deadly disease of cats, caused by a virus infection. The virus normally resides in the gut of the cat, but can mutate and so infect the immune system of certain cats. Based on an analysis of the genome sequence of different viruses, it is proposed that key changes in the surface protein of the virus make it more efficient at infecting the cells of the immune system. Dr. Whittaker proposes to perform laboratory-based experiments using gut and immune system cells, to define the differences between the different viruses. Our work will characterize the changes that
occur in the virus surface protein and will allow a more detailed understanding of the devastating disease of cats known as FIP for which there remains no effective treatment.


#08-006: Identification of the cellular receptor for feline coronaviruses


H.F. Egberink, DVM, PhD and P.J.M. Rottier, PhD; Utrecht University; $15,000

Feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) are well-known among veterinarians and owners for the devastating and lethal disease they cause: feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). There is presently neither adequate vaccine to prevent nor any therapy to treat this dramatic infection. A tremendous bottleneck that has precluded study of feline coronaviruses has been the lack of a suitable laboratory cell culture system for propagating the viruses and investigating their infection characteristics. Remarkably, all we presently know about FCoV comes from work with some rare hybrid viruses that occasionally arise when feline and canine coronaviruses simultaneously infect a cat or dog. The sole reason for this is
that available feline culture cells cannot be infected by the 'real' FCoV, because they do not carry on their surface the molecule ('receptor') that the virus needs for its entry. The investigators aim to develop the necessary susceptible cells. They will artificially synthesize the viral protein that normally binds to the receptor. Using this protein, they will fish the receptor out from a homogenate of natural target cells, i.e. feline intestinal epithelial cells. The identity of the receptor will then be determined based on its molecular mass properties. This will allow them to obtain the gene encoding the receptor,
which they can clone from the target cells. Finally, this gene will be introduced into culture cells in the laboratory, which will thereby become capable of infection by FCoVs.

This will open the field for studying these viruses.


#08-036: Blood parameters potentially associated with susceptibility to feline coronavirus in Birman cats


Saverio Paltrinieri, DVM, PhD, DECVCP; University of Milan; $14,780

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is caused by the feline coronavirus (FCoV).

FCoVs are common in feline populations. Many cats are infected but do not develop FIP. Occasionally, the virus acquires the ability to cause a generalized and lethal infection. The immune system of susceptible cats participates in the development of FIP By contrast, "resistant" cats (those that are infected without showing clinical signs of the disease) mount a protective immune response. Resistant cats shed large amount of FCoVs in their feces that can re-infect susceptible cats, thus predisposing those cats to FIP. The ability to identify resistant or susceptible cats by blood tests would allow the design of breeding strategies to select resistant cats, or to avoid mixing cats with different susceptibilities to the infection, thus preventing mortality due to FIP. This would be particularly important for Birman cats, one of the breeds in which FIP occurs with a high frequency. Several studies suggested that resistant cats have certain changes in their immune response, such as increased lymphocyte subsets, transient increases of proinflammatory molecules (cytokines), or increases of or changes in the inflammatory protein α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). The opposite changes are detected in cats with FIP. This study will evaluate these parameters in Birman cats, to assess whether they can be used to explain the susceptibility of this breed and/or to identify families or individuals at high risk to develop FIP.

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The FIP project from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) has been selected for the new "Sponsor A Project" program. Individual donors, clubs, organizations or companies may sponsor specific projects. When you sponsor a project, your name will be added to the list of the project's supporters on our website and in any publications we produce about the project. You will receive exclusive pre-publication reports on the progress of your chosen project as they become available, and a final report at its conclusion.

08-006: Identification of the cellular receptor for feline coronaviruses; H.F. Egberink, DVM, PhD and P.J.M. Rottier, PhD; Utrecht University