UC lab identifies a genetic heart variant that leads to trouble for Maine Coon cats
March 25, 2021
A team of UC College of Medicine researchers tackled a cardiac condition in Maine Coon cats after a baffled owner reached out for help. Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, lead a team that was able to identify a mutation in a gene known as troponin-T (TNNT2), which regulates heart contractility. It is present in humans, but this was the first time it was associated with heart disease in cats.