02304-A: Investigating a Biomarker and Novel Therapeutic Target for Canine Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
Canine diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common, aggressive cancer in dogs. The average survival time after initial diagnosis is one year. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of DLBCL is often made late in disease when the cancer is advanced, which negatively impacts the survival of the dog. Therefore, there is a need to 1) develop non-invasive screening methods for early diagnosis, and 2) identify novel therapies to treat this cancer. In human oncology, the discovery of a new type of gene called long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has led to the development of non-invasive screening methods for certain cancers. These lncRNAs are also being explored for their use as new cancer targets for drug development, which are expected to have fewer side effects than current treatments. Since these lncRNA can be detected in blood of cancer patients, they can be used in non-invasive, early detection assays for some cancers. Recently, human DLBCLs were shown to express high levels of the lncRNA HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), and its expression was predictive of a poor prognosis; human HOTAIR is also being explored as a new target for cancer therapy. The investigators will study canine lncRNA HOTAIR to determine if it is expressed in canine DLBCL and can be detected in the blood of cancer patients. If successful, this research will open new lines of research improving the detection and treatment of a common and devastating cancer of dogs.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
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