Grant Amount: $100,000

Dr. Jaime F Modiano, VMD PhD, University of Minnesota

January 1, 2011 - June 30, 2013

Sponsor(s): American Bouvier des Flandres Club - Bouvier Health Foundation, American Bullmastiff Association, American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation, Inc., American Miniature Schnauzer Club, Inc., Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute, Australian Terrier International, Briard Club of America Health & Education Trust, Estate of Virginia Lyn Tarquinio, Flat-Coated Retriever Foundation, German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, Golden Retriever Foundation, Hoffman Miniature Schnauzer Donor Advised Fund, Irish Wolfhound Club of America, Inc., Labrador Retriever Club, Portuguese Water Dog Foundation, Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States, Saluki Health Research, Inc., Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of America, Starlight Fund, Tibetan Terrier Club of America/Tibetan Terrier Health & Welfare Foundation, United States Australian Shepherd Foundation

Breed(s): Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Portuguese Water Dog

Disease(s): Hemangiosarcoma

Research Program Area: Oncology - Hemangiosarcoma

Abstract

New insights into the mechanisms that control tumor progression have provoked considerable interest in the interaction of cancer cells with their microenvironment. Specifically, a molecule called IL-8 that can support tumor growth and survival, also recruits inflammatory cells and promotes blood vessel formation in the local tumor environment, enhances resistance to therapy, and facilitates metastasis in various aggressive cancers. Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an incurable, highly metastatic cancer that occurs commonly in dogs. There is virtually nothing known about how tumor cells and the microenvironment interact with each other in HSA, and more specifically, a role for IL-8 has not been investigated. In a recent study funded by CHF grant 422, we showed upregulation of IL-8 was a consistent feature that distinguished HSA cells from non-malignant endothelial cells, suggesting IL-8 might play a significant role in this disease. For this project, we will characterize the direct effects of IL-8 on HSA cells, an essential first step in the process to establish if and how this pleotropic molecule modulates disease progression. Our results will begin to clarify the importance of IL-8 production by HSA cells, and provide the foundation for subsequent studies to define its role regulating interactions between HSA cells and their microenvironment.