Cat Cancer Breakthrough Inspires Hope for Humans

Quick Smiles:

• New treatment helps cats with tough cancers and may benefit humans too
• Over a third of treated cats had their disease controlled with minimal side effects
• Jak the cat enjoyed extra time with his family thanks to the new therapy

A groundbreaking targeted treatment for cats battling head and neck cancers has scientists hopeful it may one day save human lives as well.

More than a third of felines in the first clinical trial saw their disease controlled with few side effects, offering new optimism for pets and their families.

Researchers believe the drug could also help humans fighting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a difficult cancer to treat.

“There are two major findings from this study,” said Professor Daniel Johnson. “It showed us that it’s possible to target a transcription factor that drives oncogenesis, which is something that has been notoriously difficult in the past.

“Also, it demonstrated that pets with cancer can be a good representation of human disease and that clinical trials in pets may yield more reliable results than tests in mouse models.”

This is the first drug to directly target STAT3, a protein linked to many cancers in both cats and humans.

The idea to try the treatment on cats began with a conversation between Dr. Jennifer Grandis and her sister, a veterinarian, after noticing similarities between feline and human cancers.

Owner Tina Thomas shared her experience when her cat Jak participated in the trial after being given just weeks to live by vets.

“It was just a gut punch. We wanted more time with him.”

“When I found out about this clinical trial, I knew I wanted him to be a part of it.”

Jak showed great improvement after one month of weekly treatments and spent an extra eight cherished months with his family.

“It was meaningful to us because he was here in our lives,” Tina remembered. “During that time, my son finished college and my daughter finished her master’s program. Jak got to spend one more Christmas with us, and he loved our Christmas tree. He was worth every bit of the effort.”

Cats in the study tolerated the treatment well, experiencing no major side effects beyond mild anaemia.

Seven cats responded to the drug, with average survival reaching over five months past initial expectations.

The team discovered that the compound worked by both blocking STAT3 and encouraging an immune response linked protein called PD-1.

Dr. Grandis emphasized the value of these trials: “This study is a great example of how we can think more carefully about spending our very limited resources on studies in lab mice that are not even the best models of human cancers.

“By partnering with veterinary oncologists and doing clinical trials in companion animals, we can learn an enormous amount about how these drugs work while also helping people’s pets.

“None of the cats in these trials were harmed, and many of them benefited.”

Researchers are now collaborating with a biotech company to progress this hope-filled therapy for both pets and people.

Stories like Jak’s shine a light on new possibilities, warming hearts and inspiring hope for families everywhere.

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