Are our so called best friends becoming guinea pigs for cancer vaccinations? If so, we should be thankful!
"... For the new study, scientists at Yale adapted existing human cancer treatments to find a new version that could benefit both humans and dogs, since some cancers share properties between species. Monoclonal antibodies are an emerging treatment where patients receive infusions of proteins that bind to EGFR and HER2, two proteins that are overexpressed in several cancers like colorectal or breast cancer. ...
After identifying a compound that did just that, the researchers tested it in mice and then dogs. It proved so successful that multiple clinical trials have been conducted in the past eight years, involving over 300 dogs, with the treatment binding to tumors and messing with the pathways that let it grow. ..."
From the abstract:
"Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed on a number of human cancers, and often is indicative of a poor outcome. Treatment of EGFR/HER2 overexpressing cancers includes monoclonal antibody therapy (cetuximab/trastuzumab) either alone or in conjunction with other standard cancer therapies. While monoclonal antibody therapy has been proven to be efficacious in the treatment of EGFR/HER2 overexpressing tumors, drawbacks include the lack of long-lasting immunity and acquired resistance to monoclonal therapy. An alternative approach is to induce a polyclonal anti-EGFR/HER2 tumor antigen response by vaccine therapy. In this phase I/II open-label study, we examined anti-tumor immunity in companion dogs with spontaneous EGFR expressing tumors. Canine cancers represent an outbred population in which the initiation, progression of disease, mutations and growth factors closely resemble that of human cancers. Dogs with EGFR expressing tumors were immunized with a short peptide of the EGFR extracellular domain with sequence homology to HER2. Serial serum analyses demonstrated high titers of EGFR/HER2 binding antibodies with biological activity similar to that of cetuximab and trastuzumab. Canine antibodies bound both canine and human EGFR on tumor cell lines and tumor tissue. CD8 T cells and IgG deposition were evident in tumors from immunized dogs. The antibodies inhibited EGFR intracellular signaling and inhibited tumor growth in vitro. Additionally, we illustrate objective responses in reducing tumors at metastatic sites in host animals. The data support the approach of amplifying anti-tumor immunity that may be relevant in combination with other immune modifying therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors."
Novel cancer vaccine offers new hope for dogs — and those who love them A Yale researcher developed a vaccine that can slow or halt certain cancers in dogs. And it could be used to treat humans in the future.
Vaccine-induced ErbB (EGFR/HER2)-specific immunity in spontaneous canine cancer (open access, but published in August 2021)
Fig. 2 Serum from cEGFR p527 peptide immunized dogs bind EGFR/HER2 on both canine and human cells and osteosarcoma tumor tissue.
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