Investigating Role of an Immune Protein in Aggressive Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone tumor affecting large- and giant-breed dogs. Because OS usually affects the leg bones, the first signs of disease often are limping and pain. While removing the tumor with surgery can relieve pain and improve quality of life, OS can rapidly grow and metastasize or spread through the body. Most dogs diagnosed with OS will eventually die from metastases. Currently, treatments for slowing the development of OS metastases rely solely on chemotherapy, yet the cancer-fighting activity of chemotherapy isn't very effective. Given these limitations, new ways to effectively manage metastatic disease in dogs with OS are desperately needed. Studies show certain immune proteins that influence the immune response to cancer can be helpful in fighting cancer, while other proteins can be harmful, promoting cancer growth and spread. One immune protein that causes inflammation is called interleukin-1-beta and is thought to promote and accelerate the spread of OS. Given the importance of interleukin-1-beta in OS, neutralizing or blocking this protein with new drugs could be an effective strategy in slowing cancer spread and improving patient survival times. Researchers will explore the role of IL-1-beta in canine OS, with the goal of finding new drugs that can block its cancer-promoting effects in dogs with this deadly bone cancer.