Gene-doping test supports health of racehorsesMarch 9, 2021Eliminating the administration of illicit, gene doping therapies in racehorses and other equine athletes is the driving force behind a new development out of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet).
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Can dogs identify COVID-19 by scent?May 5, 2020Penn Vet says canine surveillance could be beneficial in detecting those with novel coronavirus as the U.S. loosens pandemic measures.
Penn Vet to study hemp-based canine supplementMay 28, 2019A trial at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) will be looking at the effectiveness of a hemp-based supplement to relieve symptoms of canine joint immobility. Approximately 60 dogs who are suffering from inflammation secondary to osteoarthritis will be split into three groups. One group will receive Mobility, which was developed by Dixie Brands' subsidiary Therabis. The second group will receive CBD, and the last group will receive a placebo. The dogs will then be studied to see which group achieves a better outcome. "We are honored to have a Therabis product selected by the world-renowned experts at Penn Vet for their first major study of the effects of natural hemp oil to reduce joint pain in dogs," says Therabis cofounder, Stephen M. Katz, DVM. "Our experience in my clinic has shown cannabidiol (CBD) is an effective treatment in reducing inflammatory response. We have a passion for improving dogs' quality of life, and we look forward to learning all we can about therapeutic methods to achieve this." Physical tests will be used to measure the effectiveness of the products, mostly focusing on the front leg joints. Results are expected in approximately 12 months.
Penn Vet doctors receive NIH grant to target canine autoimmune diseaseOctober 4, 2018Nicola J. Mason, BVetMed, PhD, and Aimee S. Payne, MD, PhD, have received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Transformative Research Award, part of the institute's High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, for their work in targeting autoimmune disease in dogs. Under the grant, Drs. Mason and Payne are looking to evaluate a genetically engineered cell-based therapy to treat dogs with naturally occurring autoimmune skin disease known as pemphigus. Dogs are one of the few other species to develop pemphigus, a condition that mirrors pemphigus in human patients. Evaluation of this approach to treat pet dogs with the disease may ultimately lead to breakthrough therapies for humans. According to the Autoimmune Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins, at least 10 million Americans suffer from the more than 80 illnesses caused by autoimmunity. "The successful treatment of autoimmunity in the family dog using this unique approach would not only be a breakthrough in veterinary medicine, but could also change the way autoimmune disease is treated in humans," said Mason, associate professor of medicine and pathobiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Penn Vet. "We believe that this work may facilitate the translation of cellular immunotherapies for a broad range of canine …
MAF awards Penn $775K to test osteosarcoma immunotherapy vaccine in dogsApril 20, 2018Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has awarded a $775,000 grant to the University of Pennsylvania to test a vaccine that could improve longevity and quality of life for dogs with osteosarcoma. The research team will conduct clinical trials to evaluate a novel immunotherapy treatment that combines a molecule expressed by cancer cells with a modified live form of Listeria monocytogenes. A pilot study demonstrated this combination elicited a powerful, targeted immune response directed against osteosarcoma cells in patients suffering from this type of cancer. "This could be an incredible breakthrough in the fight against osteosarcoma, a highly aggressive and deadly cancer," said Kelly Diehl, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), senior scientific programs and communications adviser at MAF. "For the last 50 years, Morris Animal Foundation has been funding cancer studies, and this is one of the largest, single grants we have ever awarded. The results of the pilot study were so compelling, that we knew we had to support this research team and their progression to a clinical trial." The vaccine, created by removing harmful genes from the Listeria bacteria and then attaching markers of osteosarcoma cells, supplements standard osteosarcoma treatment of amputation and chemotherapy by attacking cancer cells that …
University of Pennsylvania names new dean of veterinary medicineMarch 2, 2018The University of Pennsylvania has announced that Andrew Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, is the next Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoffman currently is director of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory and professor of large animal internal medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. At Tufts, Hoffman's regenerative medicine and stem cell research programs have contributed to both animal and human health. With Tufts he also helped shepherd the first outpatient pulmonary function testing laboratory in the world for equine and canine patients. Hoffman has served as director at Tufts of its Regenerative Medicine Laboratory since 2012. Prior to that, he served as director of the Stem Cell Laboratory. He has led the Tufts Lung Function Laboratory for more than 20 years and also served for five years as director of the Tufts Equine Sports Medicine Program. Hoffman is past president of the Veterinary Comparative Research Society and a member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. His research programs have received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for nearly 20 years, and he has authored more than 100 publications. "Andy's career exemplifies …
Penn Vet state funding still has a chanceJuly 10, 2017The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine may keep the $30 million in state funding previously under threat, reported the Daily Pennsylvanian.
Penn vet research's work shows way to identify animals at risk of blood clotsMay 25, 2016Patients who are critically ill — be they dog, cat or human — have a tendency toward blood-clotting disorders, according to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine press release.
