Precision medicine in domestic animals: models of human inherited neurological diseases

Domestic animals share a wide range of important conditions with humans, and many of these conditions have similar or identical underlying pathologies and thus represent physiologically relevant natural models for human disorders. This presentation will talk about the application of DNA-based precision medicine methods to unravel the cause of several inherited neurological disorders in domestic animals (such as neuropathies and neuroaxonal dystrophy) with specific examples in dogs, sheep, and cattle. These examples will illustrate how specific genetic variants can lead to various neurological symptoms across different species, demonstrating the importance of DNA testing in breeding programs and disease management in order to reduce the incidence of detrimental conditions within specific breeds.
Ultimately, our findings support the use of veterinary precision medicine, enabling early disease diagnosis and prevention strategies to improve animal welfare and contribute to the ethical treatment of animals by translating fundamental genetic discoveries into informed selection decisions in breeding programs. In addition, the availability of spontaneous large animal models of specific rare diseases can also provide valuable insights into similar human neurological conditions, potentially leading to a better understanding of disease pathophysiology and the development of therapeutic strategies for both animals and humans.

Anna Letko is researcher at the Swiss Veterinary Faculty, University of Bern.

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