This story is a little bit of a teaser. I am trying to schedule an interview so I can get the details, but the initial news was too exciting not to share. Cindy Fink, who is President of the nonprofit group, Finding the Cure for DM Foundation (FCDMF), sent me a message about their research project. The “New Hope Study” will silence genes to cure DM Dogs. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is an incurable, progressive disease of the spinal cord in dogs. It leads to paralysis and eventual death. DM is a heartbreaking condition. 

FCDMF has been contributing to DM research over the years, but the ultimate goal of these clinical trials is to find a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in humans. ALS and DM have many similarities. Then last year in 2016, a study found a big difference in the two diseases that gives promising “new hope” to DM patients. [Read more…]