Japanese Squirrels Develop Human Hereditary Disease with Aging; Fibrinogen Aα-Chain Amyloidosis in the Squirrels Is First Such Disease Identified in Non-Human Animals

A research group led by Dr. Tomoaki Murakami from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)has revealed that fibrinogen Aα-chain amyloidosis, a previously unreported disease in animals other than humans, is highly prevalent in Japanese squirrels (Sciurus lis). In this study, the researchers compared the pathology with that of humans, and suggested the importance of Japanese squirrels in the comparative pathological analysis of fibrinogen Aα-chain amyloidosis. The researchers published their results on August 7, 2023 in the Journal of Pathology. The open-access article is titled “Fibrinogen Aɑ-Chain Amyloidosis Outbreaks in Japanese Squirrels (Sciurus lis): a Potential Disease Model.”