Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New anthrax toxin treatment tested for dog mouth melanoma tumors
By Nishiya, Adriana Tomoko et al.·Published in Toxins·2020·Department of Pathology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Inhibitory Effects of a Reengineered Anthrax Toxin on Canine Oral Mucosal Melanomas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Five dogs with oral mucosal melanoma, a type of mouth cancer, received injections of a specially modified anthrax toxin directly into their tumors before surgery. This treatment aimed to target specific proteins found in the cancer cells. After the injections, all the dogs showed stable disease, meaning their tumors did not worsen, and there was less bleeding from the tumors. The treatment also caused damage to the cancer cells, which is a positive sign. Importantly, the dogs did not experience any major side effects, suggesting that this new therapy could be a promising option for treating this type of cancer in dogs.
People also search for: dog oral melanoma treatment · anthrax toxin for dog cancer · canine mouth cancer symptoms
Abstract
Canine oral mucosal melanomas (OMM) are the most common oral malignancy in dogs and few treatments are available. Thus, new treatment modalities are needed for this disease.(anthrax) toxin has been reengineered to target tumor cells that express urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and metalloproteinases (MMP-2), and has shown antineoplastic effects both, in vitro and in vivo. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a reengineered anthrax toxin on canine OMM. Five dogs bearing OMM without lung metastasis were included in the clinical study. Tumor tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry for expression of uPA, uPA receptor, MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2. Animals received either three or six intratumoral injections of the reengineered anthrax toxin prior to surgical tumor excision. OMM samples from the five dogs were positive for all antibodies. After intratumoral treatment, all dogs showed stable disease according to the canine Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (cRECIST), and tumors had decreased bleeding. Histopathology has shown necrosis of tumor cells and blood vessel walls after treatment. No significant systemic side effects were noted. In conclusion, the reengineered anthrax toxin exerted inhibitory effects when administered intratumorally, and systemic administration of this toxin is a promising therapy for canine OMM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32121654/