Discovery of Addison's disease gene in dogs could help humans as well

Among dog breeds, Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers (tollers) have an unusually high rate of Addison's disease, a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones, notably cortisol and aldosterone. In humans, Addison's disease is thought to occur when the body's immune system attacks the adrenal glands, making it a type of autoimmune disease. Affected tollers typically develop Addison's disease at a young age and the condition appears to be inherited. Now scientists have identified a gene variant in tollers, RESF1, which is strongly associated with the disease in dogs. The research is published in the journal Scientific Reports.