CMI Team Highlights Advances in Canine Osteosarcoma Research

Prepared by Dr. Jonathan Fogle

Osteosarcoma is a tumor of bone that occurs in both dogs and people.  This tumor starts in bone and can aggressively spread to distant sites in the body (known as metastasis).  Osteosarcoma exhibits similar behavior in both dogs and people.  Of the many similarities between canine and human osteosarcoma, perhaps the most dismal is the lack of significant improvement in survival over the past three decades. Despite attempts with new kinds of chemotherapy, the length of survival for most dogs with osteosarcoma remains at 10-12 months. In people with metastatic osteosarcoma the long term survival rate is only about 20-30%.  The problem of metastatic disease in OSA needs a new and innovative approach. Our team discovered that post-operative infections and immune inflammation following surgical removal of the tumor dramatically improved survival in dogs with osteosarcoma.  Using this information, our team of investigators at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Duke University Medical School have teamed up to explore how we can harness the power of immune response to fight metastatic disease in dogs and people.

A link article developed from this research and published in the Duke CTSI can be read at the following link:

https://www.ctsi.duke.edu/news/tackling-osteosarcoma-people-and-pet-dogs