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Looking out for Lucy
There may come a time in the not-too-distant future when we'll all love Lucy. Lucy, a Border collie mix with a rare type of cancer, is under the care of veterinarians and researchers at the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine's Comparative Oncology Program. She is being treated for transitional cell carcinoma, which is similar to invasive bladder cancer in people. Her doctors are using a new technique that targets and kills cancer cells without killing healthy cells, which is often the case with standard chemotherapy. The treatments, according to veterinarian Deborah Knapp, chief of clinical oncology, could help scientists improve the methods used to detect and treat bladder cancer in humans. "What we learn in dogs may help us figure out better ways to deal with this cancer in humans," Knapp says. For more information, contact Kevin Doerr at 765-494-8216 or doerrk@purdue.edu.
Analyzing the aging process
Veterinarian Diane McFarlane is looking to baboons and horses to help shed some light on what causes nerve cells to deteriorate, and ultimately, what leads to such conditions as Parkinson's disease in humans. Bolstered by a grant from the National Institutes of Health's Division of Comparative Medicine, McFarlane and her colleagues at the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences are trying to determine what biological changes occur during the aging process that cause some people – but not all – to develop degenerative brain diseases. By investigating the aging process of baboons and neurodegeneration in horses with Cushing's disease, the scientists are working diligently to determine useful comparisons for unraveling the cause of Parkinson's disease. For more information, contact Derinda Lowe at 405-744-6740 or Derinda.lowe@okstate.edu.
But it will still cause an 'ouch'
Veterinary researchers are examining a new vaccine method that may increase the success rate of vaccination campaigns in underdeveloped countries. Michael Wannemuehler and his colleagues at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine are developing a way to produce vaccines that work better, come in smaller doses and require only one trip to a doctor's office. Their early work focuses on the bacteria that causes plague, a disease that's rare in the United States but is still found in other parts of the world, including Africa. By simplifying the composition of the vaccine, the researchers hope to create effective vaccine doses that are smaller and safer, and induce fewer side effects. The new vaccines also would be less expensive to ship and store, making them more economically feasible in faraway places where vaccines can be difficult to obtain and doctors are not around to give "booster" shots. For more information, contact Tracy Raef at 515-294-4602 or traef@iastate.edu.
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Going to battle against bacteria
Veterinary researchers at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine are armed and dangerous. Their target? Diseases and other contaminants that cost the United States agriculture industry billions of dollars each year. From computer algorithms to mass spectrometers and bioluminescent genes that can hunt down disease-causing bacteria, scientists like veterinarian Mark Lawrence are using advancements in technology to unlock many of the mysteries behind the pathogens that sicken cattle and catfish and invade food processing and storage facilities. Their efforts involve digging deeper and deeper into the cellular makeup of many bacteria. The ultimate goal, according to the researchers, is to protect our food supply by rendering the organisms harmless and to develop more effective vaccines. For more information, contact Dr. Stanley Robertson at 662-325-2283 or srobertson@cvm.msstate.edu.
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A sampling of interesting upcoming events and pet-related campaigns ...
International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, March 16, 2008 - March 19, 2008: Which infectious diseases are emerging? Whom are they affecting? Why are they emerging now? What can we do to control them? Public health professionals gather in Atlanta, Ga., to answer these globally important questions. For more information, go to www.iceid.org.
American Animal Hospital Association Annual Conference, March 27, 2008 - March 30, 2008: Companion-animal veterinarians from around the country gather in Tampa, Fla., to explore the hottest issues facing the veterinary industry. For more information, go to www.aahanet.org.
American Board of Veterinary Practitioners Annual Symposium, May 2, 2008 - May 4, 2008: Diplomates certified in species-specific medicine will learn the latest on treating birds, food animals, horses, cats and dogs during a meeting in Savannah, Ga. For more information, go to www.abvp.com.
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