Research
Previously funded studies appear chronologically, with the most recent appearing first.
Probiotic Prevention of GI Hyperpermeability and Metabolome Disturbances in Dogs with Multicentric Lymphoma Undergoing Multi-drug Chemotherapy
Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects negatively impact dogs with lymphoma who are undergoing treatment with multi-drug chemotherapy. Up to 40% of dogs experience GI toxicity that requires dose reduction or treatment delays, which can increase the cost of care if hospitalization is required. As routinely prescribed medications inconsistently prevent GI toxicity, new options are needed. Disruption […]Continue readingA Blueprint to Develop Next-Generation CAR T Therapy for Canine Lymphoma
Standard veterinary care involves chemotherapy and while patients initially respond well, the disease proves to be fatal for most dogs diagnosed. In human medicine, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, in which the patient’s T lymphocytes are engineered to target and kill their cancer, has been remarkably successful for treating B cell lymphoma. However, a significant number of patients become resistant to this therapy due to loss of target antigen on their cancer cells. To overcome this, next- generation tandem CAR T cells were designed to kill cancer cells by recognizing two separate targets, thereby reducing the ability of cancer cells to escape treatment, and greatly improving the outlook for human patients.Continue readingDiscovery of public tumorspecific neoantigens (pTSNAs) and pTSNAreactive T cells arisen from hotspot mutations in canine hemangiosarcoma
Researchers will build on their discovery of “hotspot” mutations (tumor mutations shared between patients with the same cancer) to see if they can identify public tumor-specific neoantigens (pTSNAs) that are thought to play a role in immune response to cancer. Researchers hope findings will be a step toward a new immunotherapy that can be used […]Continue readingLuteinizing Hormone Receptor Activation Induces Migration and Adhesion in Neoplastic Canine Lymphocytes
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is secreted from the brain (pituitary) in sexually intact dogs to stimulate synthesis of estrogen and testosterone in females and males, respectively. However, LH is secreted at concentrations up to 20 times higher following gonad removal with spaying or castration because hormonal negative feedback is lost. Although LH is considered to be […]Continue readingIdentifying Early Stage Ultra-rare Mutations as Predictive Biomarkers of Lymphoma in High-risk versus Low-risk Breeds Within the Dog Aging Project
The most common type of cancer in dogs is lymphoma, with ~80,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Breeds vary in their risk of lymphoma, but it is unclear why there is variation despite considerable effort to identify the genetics of cancer risk and progression in dogs. Cancer typically arises from the accumulation of […]Continue readingReprogramming the Tumor Immune Niche in Canine Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a common, devastating disease of dogs. The malignant tumor is seen frequently in older Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Portuguese Water Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, and Schnauzers, but it can occur in any dog of any breed at any age. Survival times of dogs with the tumor are short, even with surgical removal […]Continue readingOptical Coherence Tomography for Margin Evaluation of Canine Skin and Subcutaneous Neoplasms
Skin cancer is common in older dogs and often requires surgery to treat. For these tumors, the best chance of cure is offered if the surgeon can fully remove both visible and microscopic traces of the tumor. Currently surgeons must rely on pathologist’s assessment of tissues after surgery and the success of the procedure will […]Continue readingBladder Carcinogen Exposures in Pet Dogs
Bladder cancer is an aggressive cancer that affects ~ 20,000 dogs per year, and often leads to euthanasia. Certain breeds have a higher incidence of bladder cancer but genetic studies even in the highest risk breeds have been inconclusive and still indicate influence from environmental exposures. The investigators propose that specific household environmental chemical exposures […]Continue readingTranscriptional Profiling of Canine Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Soft tissue sarcomas account for 10-15% of all skin and subcutaneous cancers in dogs. Traditionally, biopsy and subsequent histology have been the primary means of diagnosing these cancers. The histology is assigned to one of three grades ranging from low (grade I), intermediate (grade II), and high (grade III). Histologic grade is currently the key […]Continue readingExamination of the Effects of Cannabidiol on Canine Neoplastic Cell Apoptosis/Autophagy and Potential for Chemotherapy Resistance or Sensitivity
Currently the use of cannabidiol (CBD) rich extracts for canine oncology patients is common, yet there is no data in canine oncology regarding the effects of CBD on canine cancer cells. Oncologists are wary of CBD use in their patients due to a lack of knowledge regarding the effects of CBD during chemotherapy. Initial studies […]Continue reading