Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine lymphoma treatment with IL-15 plus chemotherapy benefits
By Min-Hee Kang et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2025·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Immunotherapeutic efficacy of recombinant canine IL-15 as an adjunct to chemotherapy in canine lymphoma
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 61 dogs diagnosed with lymphoma (a type of cancer) participated in a study to see if adding a treatment called recombinant canine IL-15 (rcIL-15) to standard chemotherapy would help. The dogs that received rcIL-15 along with chemotherapy had a better response rate, with 77.8% showing improvement compared to 57.9% in the group that only received chemotherapy. Additionally, the dogs treated with rcIL-15 had lower levels of tumor markers and showed improvements in their quality of life, including better appetite and activity levels. The side effects were mostly mild and manageable.
People also search for: dog lymphoma treatment · canine IL-15 chemotherapy · lymphoma in dogs prognosis · improving dog quality of life with cancer
Abstract
Introduction Canine lymphoma is a common hematopoietic malignancy with variable response to standard chemotherapy. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is known to enhance cytotoxic lymphocyte activity, and this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a recombinant canine IL-15 (rcIL-15) as an adjunct to chemotherapy in dogs with lymphoma. Methods A total of 61 dogs diagnosed with lymphoma were enrolled in a 12-week clinical study. The test group received rcIL-15 in combination with standard chemotherapy, while the control group received chemotherapy alone. Outcome measures included tumor response rates, tumor biomarker levels (TK-1, LDH, β2-microglobulin), quality of life (QOL) assessments, and adverse event monitoring. Results Of the 61 dogs enrolled, 37 completed the study. The test group demonstrated a higher overall response rate (complete + partial response: 77.8%) compared to the control group (57.9%). Disease progression was observed in 16.7% of dogs in the test group versus 31.6% in controls. Tumor biomarkers were significantly reduced in the test group: TK-1 at 8 weeks (p < 0.0001), LDH at 12 weeks (p = 0.005), and β2-microglobulin at both 8 and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). IFN-γ levels remained stable. QOL parameters, including appetite, activity, and happiness, showed significant improvement. Adverse events were mild, mostly gastrointestinal, and manageable. Discussion Adjunctive rcIL-15 therapy improved tumor response, reduced biomarker levels, and enhanced QOL with an acceptable safety profile. These findings support the potential of rcIL-15 as a safe and effective immunotherapeutic adjunct for canine lymphoma, meriting further investigation in larger-scale trials.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/40520425