Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a deadly disease of cats, caused by infection with a coronavirus. The virus normally resides in the gut of the cat, but can mutate and so infect the immune system of certain cats. By use of feline cells grown in the laboratory, the investigators have identified a key factor in feline immune cells (a protease that activates the deadly form of the virus), which could be a potential target for drug therapy. The goal of the project is to test the activity of these protease inhibitors in a mouse model of FIP, as a first step to developing effective therapeutics for use in cats. (Bria Fund Study)
Grants