A team of researchers at the Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis has described a new way to increase the anti-cancer activity of natural killer cells – a type of immune cell – in pet dogs receiving radiation therapy for naturally-occurring bone cancer. The study may illustrate a promising new way to use the immune system to treat cancer in both dogs and humans.
Investigators
- William J. Murphy, PhD
- Robert J. Canter, MD
- Michael S. Kent, DVM
Three key benefits of the findings
- Shows the value of using pet dogs with intact immune systems in preclinical cancer immunotherapy trials
- The therapy appeared safe and potentially efficacious in cancer-bearing dogs, supporting eventual expansion into human clinical trials
- Illustrates a successful veterinarian-physician-scientist collaboration with potential translational benefit to both human and animal health