02864-A: Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Activation in Canine Hemangiosarcoma Cells
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
Hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive, silent cancer that sometimes snares its victims without any sign of illness. In the U.S., hemangiosarcoma is believed to be responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of dogs each year. German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers are most commonly affected but this cancer affects all dogs. While there is no cure, early surgical intervention and chemotherapy treatment may prolong the lives of dogs afflicted with hemangiosarcoma. Additional treatment options are needed to increase life expectancy and possibly even prevent the development of this deadly disease. Several studies have shown that spayed female dogs have a two- to ten-fold increase for developing hemangiosarcoma compared to intact female dogs. This may be due to overproduction of luteinizing hormone (LH) following spay or neuter. Investigators have previously demonstrated that hemangiosarcoma tissues collected from dogs have binding sites for LH. The proposed research will determine if LH binding to these sites increases cancer cell growth. The results of this research may allow for a better understanding of the relationship between spaying or neutering and the development of hemangiosarcoma. In addition, future development of a method to reduce LH secretion in spayed or neutered dogs may lower the risk for some breeds to develop hemangiosarcoma.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
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