Collection of Thyroid Tissue from Cats

Your pet can leave a lasting legacy by donating needed tissues and organs for veterinary medical education and research.  The University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals is seeking donation of thyroid tissue from cats with  thyroid disease. The tissue is being used to create cell cultures to study thyroid disease in cats which may help us to better treat hyperthyroid cats in the future.

• Inclusion criteria: Cats which pass away (by humane euthanasia or natural death) while at the UF Veterinary Hospital or having surgical thyroid gland removal for treatment of hyperthyroidism.
• Procedures: After the cat has passed away, the thyroid glands in the neck will be collected and tissue used to create cell cultures in a lab. Following tissue collection, the cat’s remains will be handled by the option elected by the client (e.g., private or group cremation, autopsy, return of remains). For cat’s having thyroid surgery, portions of the gland will be used for cell culture.
• Costs: The study will cover the costs of thyroid collection and culture.

• Contact: Richard C. Hill MA VetMB PhD DACVIM (medicine) DACVIM (nutrition) MRCVS                      Email: hillr@ufl.edu       or             Study Interest Form
• Co-collaborators:  Chris Martyniuk, PhD and Alex Gallagher, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)

Background:

The goal of this project is to collect thyroid gland cells from cats with  hyperthyroidism to establish cell cultures (groups of cells grown in the laboratory). These cell cultures will then be used to test the effects of different molecules on thyroid function in cats. This research will help determine if specific molecules may result in development of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) in the cat or be useful for treatment of hyperthyroidism. We will also collect blood samples to measure thyroid hormone levels.