Historically, veterinary research has frequently adapted methods and treatments from human medicine. However, the opportunity exists for veterinary research to lead the way, as illustrated by the study of neuropathology caused by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and its application to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, reviewed by Dr. Nicola Fletcher and her colleagues in this issue of The Veterinary Journal (Fletcher et al., 2011 N. Fletcher, R.B. Meeker, L.C. Hudson and J.J. Callanan,The neuropathogenesis of feline immunodeficiency virus infection: barriers to overcome. The Veterinary Journal, 188 (2011), pp. 260–269. Fletcher et al., 2011). The authors have identified an important gap in our understanding of HIV neurological disease pathogenesis and propose a rational study design for the use of a cat model to address this deficit, reminding us of the importance of such animal models in enhancing our understanding natural disease processes.
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