TGen-VARI canine program seeks cancer causes in dogs, and
people
PHOENIX, Ariz. - June 5, 2010 - A man and his two dogs on a
2,000-mile walk to raise awareness about cancer in dogs is helping
a new $5.3 million canine cancer project recently launched by the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Van Andel
Research Institute (VARI).
Starting from his hometown of Austin, Texas, Luke Robinson and his
two Great Pyrenees - Hudson and Murphy - have walked across
America, after one of Robinson's other giant white fluffy dogs,
Malcolm, died of osteosarcoma, or bone cancer.
Luke Robinson and his dogs pass through Elizabethtown, Kentucky,
part of their 2,000-mile walk from Austin to Boston to raise
awareness about cancer in dogs.
Robinson and his dogs plan to complete their more than 2,000-mile
trek in Boston on June 19, when the TGen-VARI-led Canine Hereditary
Cancer Consortium (CHCC) will join Robinson in celebrating by
gathering DNA samples from as many as 2,000 dogs nationwide.
"Luke started out just trying to raise awareness, but he clearly
had in his mind the desire to see this benefit dogs with cancer,
and owners of dogs with cancer," said Dr. Mark Neff, director of
the new TGen-VARI Program for Canine Health and Performance. "By
allowing us to work with him to get samples, he's realizing the
potential of his effort to actually go in the direction of science,
with tangible benefits and potential new treatments for these
dogs."
Samples will be collected by the CHCC for a nationwide project
involving more than 30 scientific investigators at nearly a dozen
institutions, which plan to use dog DNA to not only discover the
causes of cancer in dogs, but in people, too.
Without harming any dogs, researchers - including those at the
National Cancer Institute - will analyze the DNA, mostly from doggy
drool obtained by simply swabbing the inside of dogs' cheeks.
Robinson grew up in Austin. He operated a consulting practice for
biotech companies in San Antonio and Boston, where he moved in
2003. He put the business and the rest of his life on hold to walk
with Murphy and Hudson.
"We've already walked across 15 states. We're about to cross into
Massachusetts, our 16th and final state. We're about 50 miles from
our goal, and we'll be in Boston in a couple of weeks," said
Robinson, reached by cell phone this week just outside of
Providence, R.I. "It's been one heck of a journey. It's a
tremendous honor to be a part of this historic (CHCC) study."
Robinson's progress can be tracked at:
www.2dogs2000miles.org.
Nearly half of all dogs 10 years and older die from cancer. Dogs
in the study will be treated as patients. The research is endorsed
by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation and by the
Morris Animal Foundation. Samples will be gathered with the consent
of owners and veterinarians.
How your dog can join the study
The goal of the CHCC is to collect 2,000 DNA samples by the time
Robinson and his dogs arrive June 19 at the "Puppy Up!" Festival at
Boston Common. To find out more about the CHCC, go to:
www.tgen.org/chcc/. To participate in the study, especially those
dogs already clinically diagnosed with cancer, go to:
www.tgen.org/chcc/study/.
In addition to cancer, TGen and VARI eventually will study
neurological and behavioral disorders as well as hearing loss and
other debilitative conditions in dogs that could relate to
people.
Samples from thousands of dogs from all breeds, and mixed breeds,
eventually will be needed, said Dr. Neff. "Every sample matters.
Every sample informs about the process of cancer. Every sample
informs about how we might diagnose and treat cancer. The more the
better."
The $5.3 million cancer research project is supported by a
recently approved 2-year, $4.3 million federal stimulus grant to
TGen and its partners, and by $1 million in private grants from
businesses involved in pet care - $500,000 from PetSmart, and
$500,000 from Hill's Pet Nutrition.
Dr. Jeffrey Trent, President and Research Director for TGen and
VARI and also the CHCC's Principal Investigator, said that it is
difficult to study rare cancers in people, because there is
insufficient data. But by studying similar types of cancers more
prevalent in dogs, researchers should be better able to help those
human patients who currently have little hope.
The study is focused on sarcomas, those cancers that originate in
the connective tissues such as bone, cartilage and fat.
Although rare in humans, these tumors are relatively common in
certain breeds of dogs, such as Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds
and Clumber Spaniels. After as many as 150 years of breeding, there
are few genetic variations in these dogs, making it easier to
identify the few genetic differences that can affect cancer
susceptibility and response to anti-cancer drugs.
The overall project is both diverse and complex, including studies
of:
- Hemangiosarcoma in Clumber Spaniels by Dr. Nick Duesbury at VARI
- Lymphoma in several breeds of dogs by Dr. Nicola Mason at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Malignant histiocytic sarcoma in Bernese mountain dogs by Dr. Vilma Yusbasiyan-Gurkan at Michigan State University.
- Melanoma in Schnauzers by Dr. Trent at TGen.
- Osteosarcoma in Rottweillers and Greyhounds by Dr. Paul Meltzer and Dr. Chand Khanna at the National Cancer Institute, the nation's premier cancer research center, whose involvement Trent called key to the success of the program.
About Van Andel Research Institute
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel
Institute (VAI) is an independent research and educational
organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, dedicated to
preserving, enhancing and expanding the frontiers of medical
science, and to achieving excellence in education by probing
fundamental issues of education and the learning process. VARI, the
research arm of VAI, is dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular
and molecular origins of cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and
working to translate those findings into effective therapies. This
is accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in 18
on-site laboratories and in collaborative partnerships that span
the globe. For additional media resources and more information,
visit: www.vai.org.
Press Contact:
Joe Gavan
Vice President, Communications
Van Andel Institute
616-234-5390
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
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