Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Melarsomine drug reduces survival of canine bone cancer cells
By Nam, Aryung et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2019·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Melarsomine suppresses canine osteosarcoma cell survival via inhibition of Hedgehog-GLI signaling.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that melarsomine, a drug usually used to treat heartworm in dogs, may also help fight osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. In laboratory tests, melarsomine reduced the survival of cancer cells from two canine osteosarcoma cell lines, leading to cell death. The drug worked by inhibiting a specific signaling pathway that cancer cells rely on to grow. While these results are promising, more research is needed to determine the best way to use melarsomine for treating osteosarcoma in dogs.
People also search for: dog osteosarcoma treatment · melarsomine for dog cancer · canine bone cancer signs
Abstract
The Hedgehog-GLI signaling pathway is activated in human and canine osteosarcoma (OSA) and represents a potential therapeutic target for cancers, including OSA. Arsenic trioxide represses GLI expression. Melarsomine, an arsenic compound-containing drug, has been approved for the treatment of canine heartworm disease. Hence, we hypothesized that melarsomine inhibits GLI signaling in canine OSA cell lines. The present study aimed to assess this hypothesis. Cell viability and colony formation were decreased in the canine OSA cell lines Abrams and D17 after treatment with melarsomine. Melarsomine-induced apoptotic cell death was assessed via cell cycle analysis using propidium iodide staining. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses revealed a downregulation of genes downstream of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, including GLI1, GLI2, and PTCH, after melarsomine treatment. The present results suggest that melarsomine exerts antitumor effects and serves as a GLI inhibitor in canine OSA cells. Additional studies are required to evaluate and confirm the anticancer effect and relevant therapeutic dose of melarsomine in vivo.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31645504/