It continues to be an interesting time for anyone suffering from or interested in advancing techniques for diagnosing and treating people who have IC.  Some researchers have been able to pinpoint specific chemicals in the blood of people (and cats) with IC and now are leaning towards the possibility that IC symptoms are originating from issues within the central nervous system.  It is important to point out that veterinarians and doctors have known for years that cats can also get IC, so cats were included in the study to pinpoint the differences between healthy cats and cats with IC.

 I am a huge supporter of IC research and a lover of all animals big and small and generally dislike using them for any form of scientific research, but it does seem as if cats in these studies only had blood samples taken and studied within the same manner as humans.  I currently have four cats and would be heartbroken if any of them suffered from IC so if they are able to find a treatment for cats through these research methods, I would be extremely happy. 

My final thoughts are full of hope for all of us suffering from IC (cats and humans) that better treatment options will available for all of us soon.  Here is the article for review:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144323.htm