Canine Cancer Cure - Human Benefit UK Symposium - Effort to Cure UK Dogs

LONDON and DENVER, June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 12, a one-day symposium, hosted by the Royal Veterinary College and Morris Animal Foundation, will address the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of two -- cancer -- as well as "translational" cancer treatment research, where the same treatments being developed to help dogs suffering from cancer are being successfully applied to humans, especially children. This is the single most intensive, dedicated event related to this subject ever undertaken in the United Kingdom.

U.S.-based, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) will announce its Cure Canine Cancer Campaign to the United Kingdom. One in four dogs in the UK and worldwide die of cancer; many more suffer its devastating effects. "With canine (comparative) cancer research being a major part of RVC's future Clinical Research Strategy and looking to help coordinate other critical cancer research efforts in the UK and worldwide, we are excited to be host of this very important and valuable MAF cancer research symposium," says Professor Jonathan Elliott, vice principal -- research, Royal Veterinary College. RVC will be presenting information on its new Clinical Investigation Centre as well as a novel treatment strategy involving DNA vaccination for canine malignant melanoma. (http://www.rvc.ac.uk/)

"At RVC we are rapidly developing the appropriate infrastructure and have built expertise in many disciplines (epidemiology, pathology, immunology and clinical oncology) to make a major contribution to many cancer-related research areas," says Professor Elliott. "This strategy is beginning to bear fruit, with significant research outputs. We are keen to share this new information and discuss ways in which we can work more closely with medical and veterinary colleagues and the pharmaceutical industry to realize the potential of comparative oncology research."

Presenters at the Symposium will include five UK-based veterinary schools: Royal Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, Cambridge University, University of Glasgow, and University of Nottingham, as well as the U.S.-based National Cancer Institute; two of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms: Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline; a pet cancer screening company: PetScreen; and the world's leading nonprofit foundation dedicated to research for companion animal and wildlife health: Morris Animal Foundation.

Attendees will include business executives from health care services and product industries, pharmaceutical concerns, animal and charitable organizations, media and other interested parties.

Morris Animal Foundation, http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, was established in 1948 and is dedicated to funding research that protects, treats and cures companion animals and wildlife. MAF has been at the forefront of funding breakthrough research studies benefiting animals in some 100 countries, spanning all seven continents on earth. This spring MAF launched its cure canine cancer campaign in the United States and now wants to bring its message to the UK.

"The UK is famous for its love of dogs," states Dr. Patricia Olson, president and CEO of MAF. "Sadly, in the UK and around the world, cancer is the number one cause of death in dogs over the age of two. We are working to raise $30 million worldwide to fund research to treat dogs with cancer now, mitigating their pain and suffering, while working on a cure in the next 10 to 20 years."

Dr. Olson states that Pfizer Animal Health has already contributed $1.1 million to the effort. PetsBest Insurance, a U.S.-based pet insurance company, has pledged $1 million, and the Golden Retriever Foundation has pledged $500,000, with additional donation announcements pending. Likewise, MAF is looking to dog owners and lovers to contribute on behalf of their pet dog. MAF has a dedicated canine cancer Web site: http://www.curecaninecancer.org/. "We hope UK dog lovers will go to this site, read all about canine cancer, read case histories and stories from pet parents and scientists, then make a donation in the name of their dog today -- or dogs they have loved in the past." says Dr. Olson.

Dr. Olson explains that the same treatments being developed to help dogs with cancer are being applied successfully to humans. "The theme of our canine cancer cure campaign is Best Friends Helping Best Friends," she says.

Media interested in attending or writing a feature are invited to contact Ian Reed in the United Kingdom at +44 (0) 1913737549, or Michael Burke at Morris Animal Foundation, mburke@morrisanimalfoundation.org, in the United States at (001) 303-708-3419.

The Royal Veterinary College is one of the world's leading specialist veterinary institutions. It is the largest and oldest independent veterinary school in the UK and an independent College of the Federal University of London.

The College provides support for the veterinary profession through its referral hospitals, diagnostic services and continuing professional development courses. For information on the Royal Veterinary College canine cancer research programs contact Professor Elliott at vprpa@rvc.ac.uk.

     Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) - Royal Veterinary College (RVC)
               Canine Cancer Cure - Human Benefit Symposium

                                Programme
                              July 12, 2007

  8:00 - 8:30     Continental Breakfast

  8:35            Welcome:  Patricia Olson, DVM, PhD,
                  President/CEO, Morris Animal Foundation (MAF)

  8:40            Welcome:  Professor Jonathan Elliott, MA Vet MB PhD, Cert
                  SAC Dip ECVPT MRCVS
                  Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and
                  Vice Principal-Research
                  Royal Veterinary College

  8:45 - 9:25     Dr. Patricia Olson, MAF

                  Presentation: The Canine Cancer Campaign

  9:25 - 10:05    Amanda Jane Craig, BVSc MACVS MVetClinSc MRCVS

                  Presentation: New RVC Clinical Investigation Centre and
                  Its Role in Comparative Oncology Research

  10:05 - 10:20   Break

  10:20 - 11:00   Michelle L. Haven, DVM, PhD, DACVS Vice President Business
                  Development and Strategic Alliances
                  Pfizer Animal Health

                  Presentation:  Advantages and Risks of Evaluating Early
                  Pharmaceutical Candidates in Canine Cancer Patients

                  Outline-Synopsis:
                     I.  Introduction
                         A. Aligning on the definition of Translational
                            Medicine
                    II.  Stages of Drug Development
                         A.  Human Health
                          B.  Animal Health
                   III.  Advantages of Human and Animal Health Partnering to
                         Progress Development of Oncology Candidates
                    IV.  Potential Risks Associated with Evaluating Oncology
                         Candidates in Canine Cancer Patients
                         A.  Regulatory Guidelines -- CDER vs. CVM
                          B.  Other Considerations
                     V.  Summary

  11:00 - 11:40   Dr. Chand Khana, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (Oncology)
                  Director, Comparative Oncology Program
                  Head, Tumor and Metastasis Biology Section, Pediatric
                  Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National
                  Cancer Institute

                  Presentation:  Strategic opportunities to improve the
                  development of new drugs for canine and human cancer
                  patients

                  Outline-Synopsis:  Cancers that occur in pet dogs and
                  humans share many features, including histological
                  appearance, tumor genetics, molecular targets, biological
                  behavior and response to conventional therapies. The study
                  of cancer in dogs provides an important intermediary
                  between mouse models and human patients, and will directly
                  benefit both current and future canine and human cancer
                  patients.  The value of this opportunity has been
                  increasingly recognized in the field of cancer research
                  and now includes, the identification of cancer-associated
                  genes, the study of environmental risk factors,
                  understanding tumor biology and progression, and perhaps
                  most importantly the evaluation of novel cancer
                  therapeutics. This session will focus on the integration
                  of pet dogs with cancer into the development path of new
                  cancer drugs and the strategic partnerships that have
                  enabled this opportunity.

  11:40 - 12:20   Anneliese Stell, BVM&S DSAM MRCVS
                  Royal Veterinary College
                  Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

                  Presentation:  DNA Vaccination for Canine Malignant
                  Melanoma -- A Novel Treatment Strategy

                  Outline-Synopsis: Canine malignant melanoma (CMM) is a
                  relatively common tumour in dogs, occurring in the oral
                  cavity, at mucocutaneous junctions and in the nail-bed.
                  CMM shares a similar aggressive biological behaviour with
                  cutaneous melanoma in humans.  Tumours show local invasion
                  of tissues and early metastasis to lymph nodes and lung is
                  common.  Although the primary tumour can often be treated
                  successfully with surgery or radiotherapy, metastatic
                  disease remains a major problem, since malignant melanoma
                  is poorly responsive to chemotherapy.  Survival times for
                  CMM patients receiving conventional treatments are
                  alarmingly short (around 5-9 months).  New strategies are
                  needed to treat this disease. Immunotherapy, in the form
                  of vaccination, is an active area of melanoma research,
                  both in humans and dogs.  The aim is to stimulate anti-
                  tumour immunity, to prevent, or at least retard metastatic
                  spread. DNA vaccines are an attractive approach, we will
                  explore the extensive research being conducted at RVC,
                  including Genetic research

  12:20 - 13:30   Lunch

  13:30 - 14:10   Professor David J. Argyle BVMS PhD DECVIM-CA (Oncology)
                  MRCVSRCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Oncology
                  William Dick Professor of Veterinary Clinical Studies
                  Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
                  The University of Edinburgh
                  Hospital for Small Animals

                  Presentation:  From Telomerase to Cancer Stem Cells:
                  Lessons from Mans' Best Friend

                  Outline-Synopsis: Despite advances in conventional
                  treatments, cancer remains a disease of high mortality and
                  morbidity in dogs, cats and humans.
                  In 2001 we reported that telomerase could be considered a
                  near universal marker of malignancy in dogs and that
                  telomerase and telomere biology in dogs was closely
                  aligned with human biology.  With the help of several
                  Veterinary charities, including Dogs Trust, Canine Health
                  Foundation and Morris Animal Foundation we have developed
                  a number of strategies to target telomerase including RNA
                  Interference and gene therapy.

                  More recently, we have identified a sub-population of
                  cancer cells that have stem cell properties.  This has
                  ignited a hypothesis that cancer in dogs may be a true
                  stem cell disease.  This has profound implications for
                  therapy, as stem cells have highly developed resistance
                  mechanisms for conventional treatments.  We have recently
                  embarked on a new strategy to use genomic tools to dissect
                  potential targets in these cells that could be utilized
                  for cancer treatments.  Although one of our major goals is
                  to improve the health and welfare of dogs, these studies
                  will also have implications for similar studies in people.

  14:10 - 14:50   Jane Dobson, MA DVetMed, DipECVIM Ca & Onc, MRCVS
                  RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Oncology
                  Cambridge University

                  Presentation:  Sarcomas in Flat-coated Retrievers:
                  Epidemiological, Histopathological, and Genetic Studies.

                  Outline-Synopsis: As sarcomas are very rare tumors in
                  humans, the high prevalence of a specific sarcoma in
                  certain breeds of dogs is of comparative interest. Dr.
                  Dobson's work at Cambridge with sarcomas in Flat-coated
                  retrievers, from clinical observation, epidemiological and
                  histopathological studies through to molecular genetics,
                  will be detailed. Dr. Dobson will spotlight her most
                  interesting and valuable findings and anticipated next
                  steps in the comparative research process.

  14:50 - 15:30   Kevin Slater, PhD
                  Chief Executive, PetScreen

                  Presentation:  Biomarkers for the detection of cancer in
                  dogs -- Past, Present and Future.

                  Outline-Synopsis: Biomarker detection is becoming widely
                  acknowledged as a powerful new diagnostic tool for the
                  detection of cancer.  The latest developments using Mass
                  Spectrometry enable multiple biomarkers to be detected
                  from a convenient blood sample.  This multi-marker
                  approach facilitates significant improvements in assay
                  performance over traditional single maker analysis.  This
                  has been demonstrated in the human field with a
                  multi-centre trial of an ovarian cancer screening test.
                  We will describe our experiences in the development of the
                  first commercially available biomarker test for canine
                  lymphoma, discuss its current application in veterinary
                  medicine and also speculate on how this new technology can
                  further assist in the fight against cancer in dogs.

  15:30 - 15:45   Break

  15:45 - 16:25   Ali Mobasheri, BSc ARCS (Hons), MSc, DPhii (Oxon)
                  Associate Professor and Reader in Comparative Physiology
                  Post-Graduate Sub-Dean
                  Division of Veterinary Medicine
                  School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
                  University of Nottingham

                  Presentation:  Metabolic, Hypoxic and Angiogenic Markers
                  in Canine Tumors: Prognostic and Predictive Indicators of
                  Malignancy

                  Outline-Synopsis: Humans and dogs are increasingly living
                  longer lives thanks to the advances of modern human and
                  veterinary medicine. One of the major issues associated
                  with a longer life expectancy in man and dog is an
                  increase in the incidence of cancer. The incidence of bone
                  cancers, skin cancers, and lymphomas is increasing in
                  humans and dogs. There are also significant similarities
                  between human and canine breast and prostate cancers. This
                  talk will focus on prognostic and predictive markers of
                  malignancy, particular those involved in altering tumor
                  metabolism, promoting angiogenesis and adjusting to
                  hypoxia. Recent work indicates that increased glucose
                  transport and metabolism are essential for the post-
                  treatment survival of many human tumors, leading to poor
                  prognosis. Human tumors frequently show over-expression of
                  facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs), especially the
                  hypoxia-responsive GLUT1 and GLUT3 proteins. Various
                  studies have reported associations between GLUT expression
                  and proliferative indices, whilst others suggest that GLUT
                  expression is of prognostic significance. With the
                  discovery of the oxygen-sensitive transcription factor
                  hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) has come a new
                  understanding of the molecular link between hypoxia,
                  deregulated glucose metabolism and angiogenesis. Hypoxic
                  and anaerobic tumors are significantly more malignant,
                  metastatic, radio- and chemo resistant and have a poor
                  prognosis.

                  There are over 250 publications relating to glucose
                  transport and metabolism in human tumors but very few
                  studies have been done on these markers in canine tumors.

                  Studying the bioenergetics of canine tumors will allow us
                  to gain a comparative understanding of tumor metabolism.
                  This knowledge may enhance existing chemotherapeutic
                  strategies so that treatment can be more rationally
                  applied and personalized for canine cancer patients.

  16:25 - 17:05   Professor Iain Morgan, BSc, PhD.
                  University of Glasgow, Division of Pathological Sciences
                  Institute of Comparative Medicine
                  University of Glasgow Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

                  Presentation:  Integrating Canine and Human Cancer Gene
                  Discovery with Therapeutic Gain

                  Outline-Synopsis: Detailed report on University of Glasgow
                  research on telomerase as a canine cancer marker and
                  thorough investigation of our recent work using the
                  telomerase promoter as a therapeutic. In addition we will
                  present research progress on identification of novel
                  canine mammary carcinoma markers and ongoing work in this
                  area at the University of Glasgow.

  17:05 - 17:10   Five Minute Break

  17:10 - 17:50   Allen Oliff, MD, Senior VP and Head of Molecular Discovery
                  Research GlaxoSmithKline.

                  Presentation:  A Tale of Two Oncogenes

                  Outline -- Synopsis: History of cancer drug discovery and
                  how it has changed over two decades. Cellular & Tumor
                  Biological Foundations of Cancer 1970, Empirical Cytotoxic
                  Success, Genetic Foundations of Cancer - 2000, Molecular
                  Oncology Successes, Empirical Cytotoxic Successes,
                  Molecular Oncology Successes, Historic Success Rates-Two
                  Approaches, Oncogenes in Human Cancers; Tale of Two
                  Oncogenes -- Ras and Erb-B, Why Do Some Cancer Targets
                  Yield Effective Drugs While Others Fail?, What We Know --
                  Still Need to Learn

  17:50 - 18:30   Open Discussion:
                  Topics-Issues From Today's Program
                  Moderated by Dr. Oliff, Dr. Haven, Dr. Elliott and Dr.
                  Olson

  18:30 - 19:30   Adjourn and Cocktail Reception (immediately following open
                  discussion)