Breakthrough Canine Cancer Research Helps Dogs and Humans Live Longer, Healthier Lives / Defeat Osteosarcoma

February 17, 2012 By: NCTechNews Category: Veterinary Technology

(Raleigh, N.C.) An innovative cancer treatment process improving survival rates for dogs could soon take the phrase “man’s best friend” to a whole new level, according to a research project funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF).

Through CHF’s support, Texas A&M University is continuing a ground-breaking lymphoma treatment therapy research project that uses laboratory expanded T-cells to help extend the lives of dogs that unfortunately develop cancer. Lymphoma is the most common form of canine cancer, accounting for up to 24 percent of all cancer cases diagnosed. It is rarely curable. Eighty percent of dogs typically live only 12 months or less after being diagnosed with lymphoma.

The pioneering process, designed by a team of scientists at Texas A&M and the University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in Houston, starts with taking a blood sample from the dog in order to expand T-cells, which are white blood cells critical for fighting off infection and controlling cancer. The T-cells are then infused back into the same dog following chemotherapy treatments to help rebuild the dog’s immune system. The hypothesis of these investigators was that the infused T-cells would wipe out any remaining cancer cells not eliminated during typical chemotherapy treatments. Early results have been encouraging.

“Our [T-cell] treated dogs had a tumor-free survival (first remission) almost five times longer [than dogs that received only chemotherapy treatments],” said Texas A&M’s Heather Wilson, DVM, leader in the next phase of the canine T-cell project that is being funded by CHF.

Dogs are genetically closer to humans than humans are to mice, which are commonly used for pre-clinical studies. In companion dogs, the tumors develop spontaneously in the presence of an intact immune system due to the same environmental etiologies and genetic abnormalities as human cancer. Thus, what is learnt in dogs with cancer may be applied to humans with cancer. Given the promising results with dogs, a similar innovative immunotherapy process is currently in clinical trials to help treat human cancer patients at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, under the direction of Dr. Laurence Cooper.

In the canine studies, “We followed the same rigid standards we practice for human clinical trials at MD Anderson to ensure the safety of each dog,” said Dr. Cooper, professor and section chief of cell therapy at the children’s hospital. “It’s a win-win for dog and human patients. While these pets are benefiting from the T-cell infusions, this collaboration with Texas A&M is a driving force for undertaking similar clinical trials in humans.”

The outlook for using the process to treat humans is promising. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved trials using T-cell immunotherapy to treat humans for lymphoma. New trials stemming from this research are forthcoming.

“Treating dogs with cancer provides us with a great comparative oncology model for humans,” said Colleen O’Connor, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow at MD Anderson. “We learned important details about the interaction between chemotherapy and tumor cells that can be harnessed to improve the body’s anti-tumor immune response. This is something we hadn’t appreciated thus far from our clinical research in humans.”

“We are very excited by the collaboration between Texas A&M and MD Anderson Cancer Center, to help dogs, as well as humans, live longer, healthier lives,” says CHF Chief Scientific Officer Shila Nordone, Ph.D. “As a foundation, we are committed to funding research that will prevent and treat canine cancer. This collaboration also underscores the important role that veterinary biomedical research plays in human translational medical research. It is likely through using naturally occurring veterinary disease models we will be able to identify new therapeutics and treatments more quickly and for far less money than when we use traditional research approaches.”

The CHF-funded project at Texas A&M is sponsored by the American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation, American Miniature Schnauzer Club, American Shetland Sheepdog Association, Central New Jersey Hound Association, English Setter Association of America, English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America, Golden Retriever Foundation and Otterhound Club of America.

If interested in making contributions directly for canine health research like the innovative cancer therapy research being done at Texas A&M, visit the CHF website at www.akcchf.org and click on the “Donate Today” button or text “dog” to 20222 to make a $ 5 donation.

CHF is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research to prevent, treat and cure canine disease. Visit CHF online at www.akcchf.org for more information about the Foundation. Like CHF at www.facebook.com/akccaninehealthfoundation or follow CHF on Twitter at @CanineHealthFnd.

About CHF
The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives by funding research that helps prevent, treat and cure canine disease. Established in 1995, CHF’s mission is to advance the health of all dogs and their owners by funding sound scientific research and supporting the dissemination of canine health information. Through the generous support of the American Kennel Club, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Pfizer Animal Health, dog clubs and dog owners worldwide, CHF has dedicated more than $ 33.2 million to canine health research projects and education programs. Visit CHF online at www.akcchf.org for more information

Lymphomas in humans and dogs have similarities

A team of scientists from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Duke University have conducted one of the first studies to directly compare canine and human B-cell lymphoma by examining molecular similarities and differences between the two species.

B-cell lymphomas are very common in both humans and dogs.

“Pet dogs get cancer the same way humans do: at similar rates, and for unknown reasons.  Like humans, dogs’ tumors are spontaneously occurring, rather than genetically created as they are in mice, so canine tumors may more accurately mimic the situation in human cancer patients. Dogs are good models to study, because it will also be possible to study shared risk factors, in the environment, for example, that might predispose both humans and dogs to get lymphoma. Our knowledge helps dogs and humans with lymphoma.” says Kristy Richards, MD, PhD, and co-author of the research which has been published in the journal Cancer Research.

“Veterinarians treating dogs for lymphoma can offer clinical trials to their owners. Clinical trials in dogs are similar to those done in humans, with safety protections in place to minimize harm.”

Molecular analyses of canine and human tumors were completed at NCSU and at UNC Lineberger. The team used gene expression profiling and found that canine B-cell lymphoma expression profiles were similar in many ways to human B-cell lymphoma, thus paving the way for future studies, including therapeutic clinical trials in dogs and humans.

Source:  UNC School of Medicine media statement

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the Perelman School of Medicine have published new research into an Epstein Barr-like virus that can infect and may cause lymphomas in dogs.

The findings means that humans and dogs share a similar biology – at least when it comes to the infection by the virus.  (Epstein Barr is the cause of diseases such as mononucleosis and is linked to the development of more serious diseases including non-Hodgkins and Hodgkins lymphomas.)

How does infection occur?

In humans, the Epstein Barr virus infects B cells.  After an acute phase of infection, which passes in many people without them even being aware of it,  the virus goes into a latent phase.  Most people show no symptoms during this phase.  In some, however the virus promotes unnatural growth of B cells and this contributes to the development of lymphoma.

Dogs develop lymphomas that share some characteristics with human lymphomas.  These conditions are relatively common in certain breeds such as the golden retriever.

Researchers think this line of enquiry is promising because they may be able to study the rates of infection and responses to treatment in dogs and this may have spinoffs for human treatment.

You can read the entire University of Pennsylvania media statement here.