Canine Cancer Cure – Human Benefit UK Symposium – Effort to Cure UK Dogs
LONDON and DENVER, June 29 /PRNewswire/ — On July 12, a one-day symposium, hosted by the Royal Veterinary College and Morris Animal Foundation, will address the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of two — cancer — as well as “translational” cancer treatment research, where the same treatments being developed to help dogs suffering from cancer are being successfully applied to humans, especially children. This is the single most intensive, dedicated event related to this subject ever undertaken in the United Kingdom.
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U.S.-based, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) will announce its Cure Canine Cancer Campaign to the United Kingdom. One in four dogs in the UK and worldwide die of cancer; many more suffer its devastating effects. “With canine (comparative) cancer research being a major part of RVC’s future Clinical Research Strategy and looking to help coordinate other critical cancer research efforts in the UK and worldwide, we are excited to be host of this very important and valuable MAF cancer research symposium,” says Professor Jonathan Elliott, vice principal — research, Royal Veterinary College. RVC will be presenting information on its new Clinical Investigation Centre as well as a novel treatment strategy involving DNA vaccination for canine malignant melanoma. (http://www.rvc.ac.uk/)
“At RVC we are rapidly developing the appropriate infrastructure and have built expertise in many disciplines (epidemiology, pathology, immunology and clinical oncology) to make a major contribution to many cancer-related research areas,” says Professor Elliott. “This strategy is beginning to bear fruit, with significant research outputs. We are keen to share this new information and discuss ways in which we can work more closely with medical and veterinary colleagues and the pharmaceutical industry to realize the potential of comparative oncology research.”
Presenters at the Symposium will include five UK-based veterinary schools: Royal Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, Cambridge University, University of Glasgow, and University of Nottingham, as well as the U.S.-based National Cancer Institute; two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms: Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline; a pet cancer screening company: PetScreen; and the world’s leading nonprofit foundation dedicated to research for companion animal and wildlife health: Morris Animal Foundation.
Attendees will include business executives from health care services and product industries, pharmaceutical concerns, animal and charitable organizations, media and other interested parties.
Morris Animal Foundation, http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, was established in 1948 and is dedicated to funding research that protects, treats and cures companion animals and wildlife. MAF has been at the forefront of funding breakthrough research studies benefiting animals in some 100 countries, spanning all seven continents on earth. This spring MAF launched its cure canine cancer campaign in the United States and now wants to bring its message to the UK.
“The UK is famous for its love of dogs,” states Dr. Patricia Olson, president and CEO of MAF. “Sadly, in the UK and around the world, cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of two. We are working to raise $30 million worldwide to fund research to treat dogs with cancer now, mitigating their pain and suffering, while working on a cure in the next 10 to 20 years.”
Dr. Olson states that Pfizer Animal Health has already contributed $1.1 million to the effort. PetsBest Insurance, a U.S.-based pet insurance company, has pledged $1 million, and the Golden Retriever Foundation has pledged $500,000, with additional donation announcements pending. Likewise, MAF is looking to dog owners and lovers to contribute on behalf of their pet dog. MAF has a dedicated canine cancer Web site: http://www.curecaninecancer.org/. “We hope UK dog lovers will go to this site, read all about canine cancer, read case histories and stories from pet parents and scientists, then make a donation in the name of their dog today — or dogs they have loved in the past.” says Dr. Olson.
Dr. Olson explains that the same treatments being developed to help dogs with cancer are being applied successfully to humans. “The theme of our canine cancer cure campaign is Best Friends Helping Best Friends,” she says.
Media interested in attending or writing a feature are invited to contact Ian Reed in the United Kingdom at +44 (0) 1913737549, or Michael Burke at Morris Animal Foundation, mburke@morrisanimalfoundation.org, in the United States at (001) 303-708-3419.
The Royal Veterinary College is one of the world’s leading specialist veterinary institutions. It is the largest and oldest independent veterinary school in the UK and an independent College of the Federal University of London.
The College provides support for the veterinary profession through its referral hospitals, diagnostic services and continuing professional development courses. For information on the Royal Veterinary College canine cancer research programs contact Professor Elliott at vprpa@rvc.ac.uk.
Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) – Royal Veterinary College (RVC) Canine Cancer Cure – Human Benefit Symposium Programme July 12, 2007 8:00 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast 8:35 Welcome: Patricia Olson, DVM, PhD, President/CEO, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) 8:40 Welcome: Professor Jonathan Elliott, MA Vet MB PhD, Cert SAC Dip ECVPT MRCVS Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and Vice Principal-Research Royal Veterinary College 8:45 – 9:25 Dr. Patricia Olson, MAF Presentation: The Canine Cancer Campaign 9:25 – 10:05 Amanda Jane Craig, BVSc MACVS MVetClinSc MRCVS Presentation: New RVC Clinical Investigation Centre and Its Role in Comparative Oncology Research 10:05 – 10:20 Break 10:20 – 11:00 Michelle L. Haven, DVM, PhD, DACVS Vice President Business Development and Strategic Alliances Pfizer Animal Health Presentation: Advantages and Risks of Evaluating Early Pharmaceutical Candidates in Canine Cancer Patients Outline-Synopsis: I. Introduction A. Aligning on the definition of Translational Medicine II. Stages of Drug Development A. Human Health B. Animal Health III. Advantages of Human and Animal Health Partnering to Progress Development of Oncology Candidates IV. Potential Risks Associated with Evaluating Oncology Candidates in Canine Cancer Patients A. Regulatory Guidelines — CDER vs. CVM B. Other Considerations V. Summary 11:00 – 11:40 Dr. Chand Khana, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (Oncology) Director, Comparative Oncology Program Head, Tumor and Metastasis Biology Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute Presentation: Strategic opportunities to improve the development of new drugs for canine and human cancer patients Outline-Synopsis: Cancers that occur in pet dogs and humans share many features, including histological appearance, tumor genetics, molecular targets, biological behavior and response to conventional therapies. The study of cancer in dogs provides an important intermediary between mouse models and human patients, and will directly benefit both current and future canine and human cancer patients. The value of this opportunity has been increasingly recognized in the field of cancer research and now includes, the identification of cancer-associated genes, the study of environmental risk factors, understanding tumor biology and progression, and perhaps most importantly the evaluation of novel cancer therapeutics. This session will focus on the integration of pet dogs with cancer into the development path of new cancer drugs and the strategic partnerships that have enabled this opportunity. 11:40 – 12:20 Anneliese Stell, BVM&S DSAM MRCVS Royal Veterinary College Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Presentation: DNA Vaccination for Canine Malignant Melanoma — A Novel Treatment Strategy Outline-Synopsis: Canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a relatively common tumour in dogs, occurring in the oral cavity, at mucocutaneous junctions and in the nail-bed. CMM shares a similar aggressive biological behaviour with cutaneous melanoma in humans. Tumours show local invasion of tissues and early metastasis to lymph nodes and lung is common. Although the primary tumour can often be treated successfully with surgery or radiotherapy, metastatic disease remains a major problem, since malignant melanoma is poorly responsive to chemotherapy. Survival times for CMM patients receiving conventional treatments are alarmingly short (around 5-9 months). New strategies are needed to treat this disease. Immunotherapy, in the form of vaccination, is an active area of melanoma research, both in humans and dogs. The aim is to stimulate anti- tumour immunity, to prevent, or at least retard metastatic spread. DNA vaccines are an attractive approach, we will explore the extensive research being conducted at RVC, including Genetic research 12:20 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 14:10 Professor David J. Argyle BVMS PhD DECVIM-CA (Oncology) MRCVSRCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Oncology William Dick Professor of Veterinary Clinical Studies Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies The University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals Presentation: From Telomerase to Cancer Stem Cells: Lessons from Mans’ Best Friend Outline-Synopsis: Despite advances in conventional treatments, cancer remains a disease of high mortality and morbidity in dogs, cats and humans. In 2001 we reported that telomerase could be considered a near universal marker of malignancy in dogs and that telomerase and telomere biology in dogs was closely aligned with human biology. With the help of several Veterinary charities, including Dogs Trust, Canine Health Foundation and Morris Animal Foundation we have developed a number of strategies to target telomerase including RNA Interference and gene therapy. More recently, we have identified a sub-population of cancer cells that have stem cell properties. This has ignited a hypothesis that cancer in dogs may be a true stem cell disease. This has profound implications for therapy, as stem cells have highly developed resistance mechanisms for conventional treatments. We have recently embarked on a new strategy to use genomic tools to dissect potential targets in these cells that could be utilized for cancer treatments. Although one of our major goals is to improve the health and welfare of dogs, these studies will also have implications for similar studies in people. 14:10 – 14:50 Jane Dobson, MA DVetMed, DipECVIM Ca & Onc, MRCVS RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Oncology Cambridge University Presentation: Sarcomas in Flat-coated Retrievers: Epidemiological, Histopathological, and Genetic Studies. Outline-Synopsis: As sarcomas are very rare tumors in humans, the high prevalence of a specific sarcoma in certain breeds of dogs is of comparative interest. Dr. Dobson’s work at Cambridge with sarcomas in Flat-coated retrievers, from clinical observation, epidemiological and histopathological studies through to molecular genetics, will be detailed. Dr. Dobson will spotlight her most interesting and valuable findings and anticipated next steps in the comparative research process. 14:50 – 15:30 Kevin Slater, PhD Chief Executive, PetScreen Presentation: Biomarkers for the detection of cancer in dogs — Past, Present and Future. Outline-Synopsis: Biomarker detection is becoming widely acknowledged as a powerful new diagnostic tool for the detection of cancer. The latest developments using Mass Spectrometry enable multiple biomarkers to be detected from a convenient blood sample. This multi-marker approach facilitates significant improvements in assay performance over traditional single maker analysis. This has been demonstrated in the human field with a multi-centre trial of an ovarian cancer screening test. We will describe our experiences in the development of the first commercially available biomarker test for canine lymphoma, discuss its current application in veterinary medicine and also speculate on how this new technology can further assist in the fight against cancer in dogs. 15:30 – 15:45 Break 15:45 – 16:25 Ali Mobasheri, BSc ARCS (Hons), MSc, DPhii (Oxon) Associate Professor and Reader in Comparative Physiology Post-Graduate Sub-Dean Division of Veterinary Medicine School of Veterinary Medicine and Science University of Nottingham Presentation: Metabolic, Hypoxic and Angiogenic Markers in Canine Tumors: Prognostic and Predictive Indicators of Malignancy Outline-Synopsis: Humans and dogs are increasingly living longer lives thanks to the advances of modern human and veterinary medicine. One of the major issues associated with a longer life expectancy in man and dog is an increase in the incidence of cancer. The incidence of bone cancers, skin cancers, and lymphomas is increasing in humans and dogs. There are also significant similarities between human and canine breast and prostate cancers. This talk will focus on prognostic and predictive markers of malignancy, particular those involved in altering tumor metabolism, promoting angiogenesis and adjusting to hypoxia. Recent work indicates that increased glucose transport and metabolism are essential for the post- treatment survival of many human tumors, leading to poor prognosis. Human tumors frequently show over-expression of facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs), especially the hypoxia-responsive GLUT1 and GLUT3 proteins. Various studies have reported associations between GLUT expression and proliferative indices, whilst others suggest that GLUT expression is of prognostic significance. With the discovery of the oxygen-sensitive transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) has come a new understanding of the molecular link between hypoxia, deregulated glucose metabolism and angiogenesis. Hypoxic and anaerobic tumors are significantly more malignant, metastatic, radio- and chemo resistant and have a poor prognosis. There are over 250 publications relating to glucose transport and metabolism in human tumors but very few studies have been done on these markers in canine tumors. Studying the bioenergetics of canine tumors will allow us to gain a comparative understanding of tumor metabolism. This knowledge may enhance existing chemotherapeutic strategies so that treatment can be more rationally applied and personalized for canine cancer patients. 16:25 – 17:05 Professor Iain Morgan, BSc, PhD. University of Glasgow, Division of Pathological Sciences Institute of Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Presentation: Integrating Canine and Human Cancer Gene Discovery with Therapeutic Gain Outline-Synopsis: Detailed report on University of Glasgow research on telomerase as a canine cancer marker and thorough investigation of our recent work using the telomerase promoter as a therapeutic. In addition we will present research progress on identification of novel canine mammary carcinoma markers and ongoing work in this area at the University of Glasgow. 17:05 – 17:10 Five Minute Break 17:10 – 17:50 Allen Oliff, MD, Senior VP and Head of Molecular Discovery Research GlaxoSmithKline. Presentation: A Tale of Two Oncogenes Outline — Synopsis: History of cancer drug discovery and how it has changed over two decades. Cellular & Tumor Biological Foundations of Cancer 1970, Empirical Cytotoxic Success, Genetic Foundations of Cancer – 2000, Molecular Oncology Successes, Empirical Cytotoxic Successes, Molecular Oncology Successes, Historic Success Rates-Two Approaches, Oncogenes in Human Cancers; Tale of Two Oncogenes — Ras and Erb-B, Why Do Some Cancer Targets Yield Effective Drugs While Others Fail?, What We Know — Still Need to Learn 17:50 – 18:30 Open Discussion: Topics-Issues From Today’s Program Moderated by Dr. Oliff, Dr. Haven, Dr. Elliott and Dr. Olson 18:30 – 19:30 Adjourn and Cocktail Reception (immediately following open discussion)
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Morris Animal Foundation
CONTACT: UK, Ian Reed, (0) 1913737549; or US, Michael Burke of MorrisAnimal Foundation, +1-303-708-3419, mburke@morrisanimalfoundation.org
Web site: http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/http://www.curecaninecancer.org/http://www.rvc.ac.uk/