Characterization and Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells in Canine Insulinomas

Despite the availability of multimodal treatment protocols, the prognosis for malignant endocrine pancreas tumors (insulinoma) is poor for most dogs because the tumors are either inoperable or spread to other tissues (metastasis) and thus do not respond to treatments. The identification of novel therapeutic targets is urgently needed to improve the outcome for dogs with malignant insulinoma. Because only a few cancer stem cells can drive tumor growth and metastasis, developing novel therapies specifically targeted at these cells holds promise for improving survival of cancer patients. Researchers will use novel alternative tumor models to test whether drugs inhibit growth of cancer stem cells.