Improving outcomes for dogs afflicted with a particularly aggressive and fatal type of cancer is the goal of a clinical trial currently underway.
A newly funded study will evaluate the potential of a cancer drug to control tumor growth for dogs with histiocytic sarcoma. The multi-center clinical trial, which is being conducted at Michigan State University (MSU), University of Florida, University of Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech, will be funded by the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA) through Morris Animal Foundation’s Donor-Inspired Study program.
Histiocytic sarcoma was first described in Bernese mountain dogs in the late 1970s, but has since been noted in many other breeds, Morris Animal Foundation reports.
“Histiocytic sarcoma is a devastating disease, and traditional chemotherapeutic drugs have shown limited success in improving treatment outcomes, especially with the disseminated form of the disease,” says the study’s principal investigator, Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, PhD, a professor of microbiology, molecular genetics, and small animal clinical sciences at MSU. “Based on our studies of the molecular pathways driving tumor growth, we now have an opportunity to use a targeted approach in the treatment of this deadly cancer.”
Trametinib targets and inhibits the molecular pathway responsible for tumor growth, Dr. Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan explains. Extensive testing has demonstrated the drug’s effectiveness against canine histiocytic sarcoma cell lines and in mouse models replicating canine tumors, as well as its safety and tolerability in dogs.
“We are hopeful that the treatment will have a significant and positive impact on the affected dogs,” she says. “We are always guided by data and look forward to seeing what the study will show.”