Veterinary Medicine
Summary
Veterinary medicine integrates clinical practice, public health and biomedical research to safeguard the health and welfare of companion animals, livestock and wildlife. As a discipline it embraces disease diagnosis, surgery, imaging, pharmacotherapy and preventive care, underpinned by anatomy, physiology, pathology and biochemistry. In a One Health context, veterinarians monitor zoonotic threats, advise on food safety and guide antimicrobial stewardship. Advances in molecular biology, ‘omics’ technologies and precision imaging are transforming disease surveillance and tailoring treatments. Public‐ and private‐sector veterinarians collaborate to control epizootics, improve herd productivity and promote animal welfare from farm to clinic. Emerging priorities include antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, welfare assessment and sustainable livestock production. Education now emphasises evidence‐based interventions, ethics and interspecies medicine, ensuring that graduates can diagnose complex conditions, perform minimally invasive procedures, interpret advanced diagnostics and contribute to global health initiatives.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Quantitative serum proteomics in dogs experimentally infected with the cardiopulmonary nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum revealed 139 proteins whose abundance changes correlate with bleeding diatheses and respiratory distress. Pathway analysis highlighted complement‐lectin and coagulation cascades, identifying candidate biomarkers and new insights into host–parasite interactions. An integrative genomic and transcriptomic study of spontaneous canine soft tissue sarcomas uncovered recurrent TP53 and KMT2D mutations and novel PDGFB fusion transcripts. Transcriptomic clustering defined four molecular subgroups with distinct extracellular matrix, homeobox or immune signatures, paving the way for precision diagnosis and targeted therapies in pet dogs and comparative oncology. Large‐scale surveillance of free‐ranging white‐tailed deer across North America documented over a hundred independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 from humans, sustained deer-to-deer transmission and occasional spillbacks. Viral evolution in deer, including recurring amino acid substitutions, underscores the risk of wildlife reservoirs for novel variants.
Research from all publishers
A survey of 271 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from canine and feline otitis in Poland found high rates of fluoroquinolone resistance (enrofloxacin ≥ 83%) and emerging carbapenem resistance. The authors linked specific exotoxin genes (exoU, toxA) to antimicrobial resistance profiles, emphasising the interplay of virulence and drug tolerance in recalcitrant ear infections. A multicentre Romanian study of superficial canine P. aeruginosa infections reported near‐universal resistance to multiple antibiotic classes; only polymyxin B retained activity against most strains. The authors stress routine susceptibility testing and guided therapy to counter high local resistance rates. In overweight dogs, dietary mulberry leaf powder supplementation for four weeks lowered LDL‐cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 while enhancing mucosal IgA and shifting gut microbiota towards lean‐associated taxa. Functional ingredients may thus modulate lipid metabolism, immunity and microbiome composition in canine obesity management.
Veterinary Medicine publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in veterinary medicine across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Proteomics: Large‐scale analysis of protein expression, modifications and interactions, often by mass spectrometry.
Multi‐omics: Integrated study of multiple molecular layers (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to characterise disease mechanisms.
PDGFB fusion: An aberrant transcript joining platelet‐derived growth factor B with another gene, driving oncogenic signalling in sarcomas.
Complement‐lectin pathway: A branch of innate immunity activated by carbohydrate patterns, leading to opsonisation and inflammation.
Antimicrobial stewardship: Coordinated interventions to optimise antibiotic use, minimise resistance and preserve drug effectiveness.
Zoonotic reservoir: A species in which a pathogen persists, enabling spillover to humans or other hosts.
References
- Quantitative proteomics analysis of Angiostrongylus vasorum-induced alterations in dog serum sheds light on the pathogenesis of canine angiostrongylosis. Scientific Reports (2021).
- Integrated analysis of canine soft tissue sarcomas identifies recurrent mutations in TP53, KMT genes and PDGFB fusions. Scientific Reports (2023).
- Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in the United States. Nature Communications (2023).
- Screening for Antimicrobial Resistance and Genes of Exotoxins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Infected Dogs and Cats in Poland. Antibiotics (2023).
- Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Canine Isolates from a Multicentric Study in Romania. Antibiotics (2021).
- Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Mulberry Leaf Powder on the Growth Performance, Lipid Metabolism Parameters, Immunity Indicators, and Gut Microbiota of Dogs. Metabolites (2023).
- Veterinary Physiology: Past, Present, and Future Perspective.
About these summaries
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