New research, published in ImmunoHorizons, paves the way for more personalized veterinary care for dogs that could help dog owners make informed decisions that keep their pets healthier longer. The researchers identified patterns in markers of the immune system that are specific to both individual dogs and breeds of dog. Together these patterns could help develop simple blood tests to inform treatment and diagnostic decisions.
T Cell Receptors
The study, led by Dr. Ravi Sachidanandam in collaboration with Waltham Research Institute, looked at a component of the immune system called T cell receptors (TCRs) in four breeds of dog: Beagles, Labrador Retrievers, Norfolk Terriers, and Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens.
As in humans, TCRs in dogs play an important role in adaptive immunity, the branch of the immune system that recognizes, eliminates, and remembers previously encountered pathogens. TCRs are located on the surface of immune T cells and are responsible for recognizing pathogens to induce an immune response. TCR repertoires refer to the diverse set of TCRs found in an individual and can provide information about the overall health and function of the immune system.
Personalized Veterinary Care
Using blood samples collected from each dog, the researchers analyzed the samples to determine certain characteristics of TCRs. They found that TCR repertoires were specific to individual dogs meaning that it could be possible to use a simple blood test to map a dog’s TCR profile and track changes in immune health over time. The researchers also found patterns dependent on the breed in the TCR repertoires, meaning diagnostics and therapies for different diseases could be tailored to breed-specific immune characteristics, improving accuracy and effectiveness.
“Tailoring diagnostics and treatments for both breeds and individual dogs opens the door for more personalized veterinary care that improves the lives of pets and pet-owners,” said Dr. Sachidanandam.
Age-Based Care
The researchers also investigated the impact of dog age on TCR repertoires. They found an age-dependent reduction in the diversity of TCRs in dogs, which could be the foundation for molecular clocks of immunological age. This also suggests future veterinary care could monitor age-related changes in immune health to identify dogs at higher risk for infections or poor vaccine responses.
“By identifying changes in a dog’s immune system before symptoms appear, this research could lead to early detection of disease, improving outcomes and reducing costly interventions later,” Dr. Sachidanandam added.
Dr. Sachidanandam and his team plan to continue this work by broadening their research to include more dog breeds and to correlate age-related patterns in TCR repertoires with specific health conditions, such as infections, autoimmune diseases, or cancer in dogs. Ultimately, they aim to develop veterinary diagnostics based on TCR repertoire profiling that could help dogs stay healthier longer.
This paper is available in ImmunoHorizons, a fully open access peer-reviewed journal published by the American Association of Immunologists, committed to advancing the knowledge of immunology and immunology education.
