Project Categories: Morris Animal Foundation

Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP): A Novel Therapeutic Target for Canine Lymphoma

Summary: This study investigates a new therapeutic target (valosin-containing protein) for dogs with lymphoma.

Description: A cure for canine lymphoma remains elusive, in part because of the lack of molecular-targeted therapies that can circumvent chemotherapy resistance. The research team’s previous findings suggest that valosin-containing protein (VCP) holds particular promise as a therapeutic target.

In this study, they will test a known inhibitor of VCP to see if this results in preferential killing of lymphoma cells over healthy cells and to determine the critical mechanisms through which the anticancer effect is achieved. Identifying new therapeutic targets for canine lymphoma is the first step toward developing better treatments for this deadly disease.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D14CA-324

RESEARCHERS

Dr. Marie-Eve Nadeau
University of Montreal, Canada

A Clinical Trial of VSV-cIFNbeta-NIS Oncolytic Virotherapy for Canine B-Cell Lymphoma

Summary: This study explores the safety and effectiveness of a new virus-based therapy, developed at Mayo Clinic, for dogs with B-cell lymphoma.

Description: Lymphoma is one of the most commonly occurring malignant tumors in dogs. Though treatable, the disease often recurs and spreads. This study will determine the safety, efficacy and prognostic factors of a cancer-killing virus developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Researchers at the University of Tennessee have already determined a safe dosing protocol for this virus in healthy dogs, and this clinical trial will test the dosing in dogs with B-cell lymphoma.

Using state-of-the-art cancer imaging, the study team will determine how successfully the virus spreads to sites of cancer. They will also study the dogs’ immune responses to the virus. This study provides the first robust assessment of a new anticancer strategy that has the potential to significantly improve quality of life and outcomes for dogs suffering from lymphoma.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D14CA-002

RESEARCHERS

Dr. Amy K. LeBlanc
University of Tennessee

Methods of predicting tumor response to a given chemotherapy protocol have historically focused on a few traits that could be measured in biopsy samples. Recent approaches have looked at the activity of genes within tumors to predict a tumor’s sensitivity to a given drug. Because many dogs with osteosarcoma eventually succumb to it in spite of treatment, a method to optimize chemotherapy selection could improve outcomes for dogs with this type of cancer.

Funded by Morris Animal Foundation, researchers from Colorado State University are developing a model to determine whether an osteosarcoma tumor from an individual dog is sensitive to a specific chemotherapy drug. This project is based on the idea that the genetics of human and canine cancers are similar enough that the wealth of data on human cancer genes and drug sensitivity can be mined and applied to canine cancers to aid in chemotherapy selection for dogs.

So far, researchers have collected genetic and drug-sensitivity data from canine cancer cell lines to compare with human data used to evaluate an individual tumor’s likely response to specific chemotherapy drugs. Currently, the researchers are looking at several commonly used drugs—doxorubicin, carboplatin and cisplatin—to determine if the human models will be accurate in predicting canine cancer responses to these drugs. Results are promising, and the next step is to use the gene expression–based models to search drug databases for drugs that could be more effective in treating canine osteosarcoma patients than the drugs that are the current standard of care.

If the study is successful, canine patients could be treated with the drug that would be most effective for their particular cancer. Data from this study could also lead to new treatment options for osteosarcoma. This type of approach, known as precision medicine, allows for tailored therapy that better controls cancer growth and spread and minimizes the possibility of using an ineffective drug that may cause unwanted side effects.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D13CA-044

RESEARCHERS

Daniel L. Gustafson, PhD
Colorado State University

This study evaluates the efficacy of two antibodies that could treat canine B-cell lymphoma. The investigators theorize that either antibody alone will kill lymphoma cells and delay tumor progression but that the combined effect of the two antibodies will be more effective as a treatment for dogs with lymphoma.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D13CA-033

RESEARCHERS

Jaime F. Modiano, VMD, PhD
University of Minnesota

Lymphoma accounts for an estimated 25 percent of all canine cancers. This study investigates a new therapeutic antibody that appears to effectively kill canine lymphoma cells but does not appear to result in serious side effects. Researchers will work to find the best dosage and evaluate the drug’s safety and effectiveness in dogs with B-cell lymphoma.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D12CA-033

RESEARCHERS

Barbara Biller, DVM, PhD
Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology)
Colorado State University