|
NCA Charitable Trust
What's New
Consie Powell Debut's New Title to Benefit Health Challenge
Find out more about Alphabetically Bodacious Canines
Our Research Dollars at Work!
D09CA-303: Prospective Objective Evaluation of the Surgical Treatment of Fragmented Coronoid Processes in Dogs, Ursula Krotscheck, DVM
UPDATE: Fragmented coronoid process (FCP) is a frequent source of forelimb lameness in dogs. With this condition, two of the three bones that compose the elbow joint grow unequally, causing a fractured fragment. Removal of the fragment is the treatment of choice, yet decreasing the weight bearing in this area would be preferable to slow arthritis progression. Recent reports have suggested that arthritis progression could be decreased by cutting the ulna, allowing it to rotate out of the way, and reducing any remaining joint incongruity. The ulna is a non–weight-bearing bone, meaning that cutting it will not affect the dog's gait or comfort. Researchers from Cornell University are comparing the outcomes of two surgical techniques, the commonly used technique of arthroscopic fragment removal and a newer treatment option of making an additional cut in the ulna to help prevent arthritis progression. Researchers will be recruiting dogs for this study over the next 8 to 12 months. To date, five dogs are enrolled, two of which have reached the six-month recheck point. This study should help owners determine the best possible surgical intervention strategy for their dogs suffering from FCP. In addition, it will provide insight into the rate and degree of arthritis development after FCP.
D09CA-083: Phase I Trial-Development of Bone-Seeking Nanoparticles Encapsulating Doxorubicin for Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma, Timothy M. Fan, DVM, PhD
UPDATE: Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that occurs most commonly in large dogs. As the cancer grows within the bone, it causes debilitating pain, which can usually be alleviated only through limb amputation. Following amputation, many dogs return to near-normal levels of physical activity and quality of life, but many pet owners are interested in alternative treatments that preserve the limb. To address this issue, researchers from the University of Illinois are designing and testing the safety and effectiveness of a novel chemotherapy delivery system—encapsulating doxorubicin in nanoparticles and delivering the anticancer drug directly to the tumor growth site. This project remains in the early phases of execution. To date, researchers have treated only a few dogs with osteosarcoma, none of which showed overt adverse reactions. The researchers originally planned to track the long-term accumulation of the nanoparticles through computed tomography, a radiological imaging technique, using the contrast agent iohexol. However, in the first two dogs studied, iohexol did not provide appreciable contrast for detecting and studying the nanoparticles within the tumors, so the researchers abandoned the use of iohexol as a viable contrast agent. They are now exploring the possibility of fabricating bone-seeking nanoparticles containing gold, an inert mineral that has been used successfully in bone imaging studies in humans. The study of bone-seeking nanoparticles containing chemotherapeutics will lead to the development of more effective treatments for canine osteosarcoma.
|
