Many individuals love and adore their fluffy little companions, the way they make people smile and laugh at their silly antics. They are a part of the family; friends and companions throughout life. Even then, we know that someday they will pass away and the most we can do is give them a good life with fun enrichment and all the love and care they need. Unfortunately, this seems like a hard fought battle with cats and their plethora of health issues and risks.

Older cats are more likely to be diagnosed with some type of kidney disease, and can lose up to 70% of their kidney function before chronic kidney disease signs appear. This means your feline fellow might be struggling with unseen health issues that are likely to not be diagnosed until it is too late. In most cases, cats will develop kidney issues in addition to deteriorating damage to their kidneys by the time they become five years old. 

Professor Miyazaki is one of the passionate researchers trying to reverse and prevent damage in cats kidney functions. He graduated from UTokyo Faculty of Medicine in 1986, where he found his calling to study immunology. Immunology is the studies of the immune system and the biological factors that can affect the function of our bodies. In Switzerland at the Basel Institute for Immunology, he discovered a new molecule that was dubbed “AIM,” a type of white blood cell that helps promote homeostasis within the body.

AIM is a protein that helps flag sites of blockages and waste that build up within the kidneys. This hypothetical flag draws the attention of macrophages to help destroy and dispose of waste. Unfortunately, AIM cells could get stuck with immunoglobulin antibodies, causing blockages to build up without a regulator to alert the body of buildups of blockage.

Cat’s kidneys can become blocked with dead cells, blocking the renal tubule. This tubule is responsible for keeping homeostasis of fluids and electrolytes within the body. Those experiencing acute kidney injuries have an accumulation of dead cells that block passage.

Professor Miyazaki hopes to develop injections of AIM that will get released into the cat’s bodies. Research has shown that AIM injections partnered with AIM30, a brand of cat kibble, can help prevent AIM getting attached to antibodies.

Previously, in most cases of cats developing kidney issues and damage, they will still live around 15 years after the initial diagnosis of kidney diseases or other autoimmune issues. With the clinical trials still in progress, Miyazaki theorizes that these injections and kibble combined could lengthen the lifespan of cats up to thirty years old. Miyazaki has high hopes to make the injections and kibble cheap and affordable for all cat lovers alike.

Until these clinical tests are finalized, you can implement a few changes for your feline companion to promote good kidney health. Regularly exercising and playing with your cat can help prevent weight gain, which can cause a strain on their kidneys. Additionally, make sure water is easily accessible to promote water consumption.  Moreover, cats seem to especially love moving water fountains as opposed to still water in a bowl. Another way to introduce more moisture into their diet is by serving wet food. 

From an overall standpoint, it is extremely important to enact the changes mentioned above, in addition to taking our feline friends to their regular vet visits and paying close attention to their wants and needs. Until then, for more information you can visit the websites below, and possibly donate to fund the research of AIM development.

For more information please visit iamaim.jp/en/outline/ or www.petfoodindustry.com/news-newsletters/pet-food-news/article/15468760/cat-food-with-activated-aim-protein-launched#:~:text=The%20cat%20food%20