Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vincristine helps the immune system shrink canine transmissible
By Frampton, Dan et al.·Published in Cancer cell·2018·Department of Infection, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular Signatures of Regression of the Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT), a type of cancer that can spread between dogs, was treated with vincristine, a chemotherapy drug. The treatment helped the tumor shrink, and researchers found that this regression happens in stages, starting with the dog's immune system responding and repairing the affected tissue. They discovered that certain changes in gene activity and DNA methylation (a process that can affect how genes are expressed) play a role in this healing process. Overall, the study highlights how important the dog's immune system is in fighting off this cancer.
People also search for: dog cancer treatment vincristine · transmissible venereal tumor in dogs · CTVT regression in dogs
Abstract
The canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a clonally transmissible cancer that regresses spontaneously or after treatment with vincristine, but we know little about the regression mechanisms. We performed global transcriptional, methylation, and functional pathway analyses on serial biopsies of vincristine-treated CTVTs and found that regression occurs in sequential steps; activation of the innate immune system and host epithelial tissue remodeling followed by immune infiltration of the tumor, arrest in the cell cycle, and repair of tissue damage. We identified CCL5 as a possible driver of CTVT regression. Changes in gene expression are associated with methylation changes at specific intragenic sites. Our results underscore the critical role of host innate immunity in triggering cancer regression.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29634949/