A new report came out yesterday about a greyhound dog named Kelly who was injected with a vaccine made from tissue that was taken from her own tumors.
This vaccine, a Phys.org report said, invented by Dr. Christopher Weir, an immunologist from the University of Sydney, is a personalized treatment, stimulating the immune system of the patient to attack cancer.
This new vaccine is an example of immunotherapy, which is considered as one of the most promising developing methods to treat cancer in humans.
In Australia, this report specified, it is unusual to use immunotherapy in treating dogs, not to mention, the funding's availability for this kind of veterinary study is limited. Specifically, according to this report, philanthropic support has been critical in funding the work of Dr. Weir.
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Story of the Greyhound Dog
Jennifer Weissel was not expecting Kelly, her greyhound, to live "to be an old lady." She said, in 2019, she noticed some lumps growing under her dog's jaw.
The University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney specialists diagnosed lymphoma, a common, aggressive and typically deadly cancer occurring in dogs.
Even following chemotherapy treatment, the greyhound dog's cancer continued progressing. Her chance of surviving seemed slim, and therefore, specialists at the University suggested for her to participate in a safety trial for a new vaccine.
Dogs diagnosed with lymphoma, according to the American Kennel Club, commonly survive roughly a year. However, longer than two years on, the cancer of Kelly is in remission and she is thriving.
Kelly is one of the over 300 dogs who have received treatment with the vaccine developed by Dr. Weir, with backing from crowdfunded donations.
Anti-Cancer Effects
Initial results have suggested that the vaccine has anti-cancer effects on certain tumors. It appears helpful as well, in preventing recurrence of the disease.
Giving credit to the initial trial, Dr. Weir said, they now know the vaccine is safe. He added, his invention appears effective in various cancer types, specifically well lymphoma and MAST cell tumors.
The vaccine developer also explained, this drug is more cost-effective compared to chemotherapy, which, based on the information from Canine Lymphoma.com, can even cost more than $10,000 for just one dog.
When used to combine with chemotherapy, Dr. Weir's vaccine appears to have the potential of leading to long-term remission.
Whereas chemotherapy alone can lengthen survival, it typically does not save the life of an animal. Dr. Weir hopes his vaccine will ultimately offer a cheaper, safer, and more effective option for treatment.
Efficacy of the New Vaccine
The next step to take is to test the efficacy of the vaccine on particular types of cancer. Dr. Weir is currently working with Associate Professor Peter Bennet and Dr. Katrina Cheng from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science to test the vaccine on dogs diagnosed with lymphoma.
Financially backed by the Ronald Bruce Anstee Bequest and the Canine Research Foundation, the team is now working to recruit about 80 participant dogs.
To prove if the vaccine helps extend lifespan in dogs with lymphoma the team will give some patients the vaccine, combined with chemotherapy, some combined with palliative steroids, and others, placebo. The latter-mentioned is used in veterinary medicine to prevent clinician bias.
A related report on canine lymphoma is shown on Kelsey Canine Medical Center's YouTube video below:
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