Heather Gardner, D.V.M., Ph.D., a veterinary oncologist and assistant professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, has dedicated investigations to many cancers such as osteosarcoma and lymphoma.
In cases of hemangiosarcoma, most veterinarians typically depend on clinical changes or imaging to keep track of the disease. However, Gardner's research on osteosarcoma involves exploring liquid biopsy to detect tumor-specific markers in a blood sample. This approach could be used not only for cancer detection but also for easy monitoring of the disease, and she is now applying this technique to hemangiosarcoma.
Cells in the body, she explains, whether normal or cancerous, release tiny snippets of DNA into the bloodstream. Researchers know that cancer cells have mutations in certain genes that aren't seen in normal cells. They are using this to try and identify whether DNA is being released into the bloodstream from cancer cells and to accurately detect the presence of small amounts of cancer in patients who may be at risk or in patients receiving treatment before a clinical relapse, a typical image of those suffering the disease.
At the Comparative Pathology and Genomics Shared Resource, Gardner and Cheryl London - D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVIM, associate dean for research and graduate education at Cummings School - are designing a panel of genes that they know are commonly altered and mutated in hemangiosarcoma. Their goal is to study plasma samples from dogs having HSA and validate that the liquid biopsy approach can identify biomarkers or genes that could be predictive for patients. The second part of the project is to use those panels to determine which therapy is best for an individual dog with determinate mutated gen to treat in isolation: “Based on prior studies we recently completed, we believe a few treatment combinations are going to have activity in this disease, and we want to assign those treatments based on the genetic changes we're seeing in our liquid biopsy tests to help improve outcomes.”
Gardner and London plan to enroll dogs in a clinical trial to help them design a rapid digital test that they can use to help clinicians make treatment decisions for patients.
In addition to conducting this research centered on dogs, Gardner hopes that much of the knowledge gained could be applied to help enhance liquid biopsy tests for people with angiosarcoma.
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