Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare genetic disease which affects one person in 20,000, has gone to the dogs. A team from the University of Liège's GIGA-Research Unit used dogs as a research model for the disease and they have discovered new mutations for the specific gene responsible for it.
PDC is characterized by motility defects in celluar micro-cilia, and what the micro-cilia does is allows micro-organisms that are trapped in the air to be expelled by using a flapping motion. PCD puts a stop of the flapping and therefore causes chronic respiratory infections. So, with this new discovery that was found in dogs, since dogs and humans have very common diseases, it will give the researchers a chance to figure out how to stop PCD from hindering the micro-cilia, which would be a tremendous help to those who have it.
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