Amyloidosis is an umbrella term to group different diseases characterized by the conformational switching (misfolding) of a protein and its accumulation into twisted fibrillar structures deemed as insoluble aggregates. Over time, the accumulation of these fibrils alters the structure and function of the organ(s) affected. These accumulation of aggregates within tissues (amyloid deposits) can affect one or multiple organs and contributes to the progression of the disease. Amyloidoses are complexes and multifactorial diseases affecting not only humans but a panoply of animal species, from animal companions to wildlife animals.
The diverse clinical spectrum of these diseases is perhaps explained by the high number of proteins capable to generate fibrils. In fact, at least 37 proteins are prone to aggregate and are responsible for the build-up of amyloid deposits. For decades, these proteins bearing different amino acids have intrigued scientists to understand the mechanism(s) behind misfolding and accumulation into fibrils. There is still a need for better understanding of amyloidosis in order to protect, diagnose, and treat our animal species.
The journal, Veterinary Quarterly, is issuing a call for manuscripts for an Article Collection of the topic of “Amyloidosis in animals: update on misfolding proteins, diagnosis, and treatment". This Article Collection is intended to cover current progress and challenges in amyloidosis occurring in veterinary medicine with a one-health perspective. Submission of relevant case reports, review articles, and/or research articles should focus on at least one of these following subtopics:
- Insights on new proteins involved in amyloid deposits affecting animal;
- Naturally occurring diseases or laboratory animal models that contribute to the understanding of amyloidosis in veterinary medicine;
- Additional amyloidosis mechanisms, pathologic findings and/or correlations among anatomic pathology, clinical, and laboratory findings;
- Current and/or novel diagnostic approaches (e.g. PET imaging, biomarkers, etc) of amyloidosis in veterinary medicine;
- Experimental investigations to assess the potential role of seeding in the pathophysiology and transmissibility;
- Disease-modifying therapies or drug discovery and development effort to prevent and/or treat amyloidosis in animals.
Disclosure statement: Dr. Fortin declares no conflict of interest regarding this work.
