The immune system plays a pivotal role in how a pet cat will control disease and respond to therapy in many illnesses including cancer and viral infections. A specific arm of the immune system includes cells designated as myeloid cells. Different types and subcategories of myeloid cells can be distinguished by a special technology called flow cytometry. Examination of these myeloid cells in feline cancer and infectious disease has been relatively limited. This study will develop and validate a panel that measures these cell types in healthy cats and in samples from cats with a particular cancer, feline oral squamous cell carcinoma. Later, this panel can be used to investigate other cancers and infectious disease like feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
Grants