The National Canine Cancer Foundation

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• 2: About
  • 2.1: Our Mission
  • 2.2: Organization Staff
  • 2.3: Advisory Board
  • 2.4: Scientific Advisory Board
  • 2.5: Research Grants We Have Approved to Fund
  • 2.6: Affiliations
• 3: Donate
  • 3.1: Donate Now
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    • 3.3.1: List of Core Members
  • 3.5: Affiliate Companies
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• 4: Shop
• 5: Resources
  • 5.1: Facts on Canine Cancer
  • 5.2: The Road from Despair to Hope
  • 5.3: Ask the Doctor
• 6: Grants
  • 6.1: Grant Information
  • 6.2: Pre Proposal
  • 6.3: Full Proposal
• 7: Blog
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• 9: Contact

Research Studies

Here are our approved research grants that we are presently raising money to fund

DT06PA-001-Therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis in canine tumors. Read More.

DM06CO-002-Innovative Molecular Targets for Prevention and Treatment of Canine Hemangiosarcoma. Read More.

DB06NC-003-Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of Canine Hemangiosarcoma as a means of Gene Discovery. Read More.

DK06CA-005-Treatment of canine lymphoma with liposome encapsulated doxorubicin bound to a high affinity ligand. Read More.

If you would like to donate directly toward one of these grants.

Please click on the "donate to this grant" button at the end of the description of each grant below

Grant No.

DT06PA-001

Principle Investigator:
Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pathology
Department of Pathobiology
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine


Project Start:

October 1, 2006

Project End:

October 1, 2009*

* With the high potential of clinical trials this grant may be extended for two more years

Amount of Grant:

$250,000 each year

Title:

Therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis in canine tumors.

Abstract:

During the last decade, human medicine has witnessed the emergence of the new generation of cancer drugs, which were rationally designed to block pathways crucial to tumor growth. One eloquent example is the inhibitors of angiogenesis (the ingrowth of new blood vessels into the tumor). All tumors need a blood supply to provide rapidly dividing cancerous cells with oxygen and nutrients. The task of generating new vessels is two-fold: it requires an increased production of pro-angiogenic molecules and a decreased production of anti-angiogenic molecules. The chief proangiogenic molecule is a protein called VEGF (for Vascular Endothelium Growth Factor.) The chief anti-angiogenic molecule is a protein called TSP (for ThromboSPondin.) That most tumors go to extraordinary lengths to overproduce VEGF and silence TSP attests to the significance of these molecules.

In our proposal we will focus on three complementary Aims.

1. To generate canine “VEGF trap” proteins capable of binding and sequestering this pro-angiogenic factor. This will be achieved by artificially truncating naturally occurring cell membrane-bound form of VEGF sensors (known as VEGF receptors). The truncated forms typically do not possess pro-angiogenic activities. Instead they channel VEGF into dead-end protein-protein interactions.

2. To test anti-angiogenic activities of polypeptides based on the canine thrombospondin-1 protein. Experimental tumors will be treated with either polypeptides themselves or DNA fragments encoding such peptides.

3. To identify molecules capable of re-activate endogenous (tumor-produced) thrombospondin.

Two classes of molecules are under investigation:
a) compounds that directly increase the half-life of thrombospondin-1 messenger RNA; b) compounds that increase the half-life of the protein called p53, which is the major activator of thrombospondin.

By the end of the 3d year of NCCF-funded research, we expect to have begun clinical trials involving at least some of these newly developed therapeutics. By the very nature of anti-angiogenic compounds, they can be applied towards a wide range of common canine neoplasms ranging from Hemangiosarcoma to breast cancers to B-lymphomas, which collectively account for the majority of cancer-related deaths in dogs.

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Grant No.

DM06CO-002

Principle Investigator:
Jaime F. Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Immunology
University of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Center
School of Medicine

Project Start:

October 1, 2006

Project End:

October 1, 2009

Amount of Grant:

$250,000 each year

Title:

Innovative Molecular Targets for Prevention and Treatment of Canine Hemangiosarcoma

Abstract:

Canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive cancer of blood vessel-lining (endothelial) cells that occurs commonly in dogs. A major reason for the death toll is that the cancer develops, progresses and spreads throughout the body for some time before clinical signs arise and alert us to its presence.

Current treatments are generally ineffective, thus, there is an urgent need to understand more about this cancer: knowing why HSA starts and what controls its progression will allow us to design and implement better strategies to prevent and treat it.

Specific genetic abnormalities identified as characteristic of specific cancers, have triggered the development of effective, non-toxic treatments for these diseases in people. The extent and identity of such abnormalities in canine cancers, including

HSA, remain unknown. For this project, we will identify genetic signatures that are associated with all HSAs, as well as those seen uniquely in specific breeds at high risk for the disease. We will then examine if these common or breedspecific abnormalities are amenable as targets for treatment or prevention, respectively. Finally, we will define the role of stem cells in this disease, to determine how these cells can be manipulated to improve patient outcomes.

Grant No.

DB06NC-003

Principle Investigator:
Matthew Breen PhD CBiol MIBiol
Associate Professor of Genomics
Dept.of Molecular Biomedical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
North Carolina State University

School of Veterinary Medicine

Project Start:

October 1, 2006

Project End:

October 1, 2009

Amount of Grant:

$250,000 each year

Title:
Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of Canine Hemangiosarcoma as a means of Gene Discovery.

Abstract:

Canine hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer of the blood vessels that is relatively common in dogs. A major
reason for the high death toll is that the cancer develops, progresses and spreads throughout the body for some time
before it reveals clinical symptoms.

Current treatment options are thus generally ineffective and here is an urgent need to understand more about this cancer. Knowing why it starts and what controls progression will allow to development and implement improvement therapies. It has been established that non-random chromosome aberrations are characteristic of specific types of many different human cancers and their study has identified areas of the human genome to be targeted for further research.

In the dog the extent and identity of chromosome aberrations associated with specific cancers, including hemangiosarcoma, is still largely unknown. This proposal makes use of major
advances in canine molecular cytogenetics to identify recurrent chromosome aberrations associated with canine
hemangiosarcoma and then identify genes associated with the cancer. This project will identify targets for the
development of more appropriate therapies and also to screen dogs for the presence of hemangiosarcoma at an early stage, so that they may be begin appropriate treatment before the cancer becomes too advanced.

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Grant No.

DK06CA-005  THIS GRANT HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED

Principle Investigator:
Dr Michael S. Kent
Assistant Professor
Center for Companion Animal Health (CCAH)
Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis


Project Start:

October 1, 2006

Project End:

October 1, 2007*

* With the high potential of clinical trials this grant may be extended into a Translational Grant.

Total Amount of Grant:

$50,000

Title:

Treatment of canine lymphoma with liposome encapsulated doxorubicin bound to a high affinity ligand.

Abstract:

We have recently identified a small chemical molecule that can bind specifically and extremely strongly to a protein on the cell surface of lymphoid cancer cells (Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia).

The protein receptor is called a4ß1 integrin receptor and is present in an active form on lymphoid cancer cells. Our chemical molecule only binds to active form of the protein. We named this molecule 2A and we believe 2A, when linked to potent cancer drugs, can effectively deliver the cancer drugs to cancer cells and not normal cells; therefore we expect the 2A-drug conjugate to be very effective in killing cancer cells while sparing normal cells. The goal of this clinical trial is to test this targeted therapy in dogs with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Further we aim to correlate the binding of the targeted protein 2A to response and overall survival in patients
treated with Doxil-2A.