Monoclonal Antibodies: CCR4 Antibody for Treating Canine Lymphoma and c-KIT Monoclonal Antibodies for Detecting and Treating Canine Mast Cell Tumors

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a monoclonal antibody for treating and diagnosing T cell lymphoma in dogs as well as monoclonal antibodies targeting c-KIT for treating and diagnosing mast cell tumors in dogs.

Full Description

• 2023-535 CCR4 Antibody for Treating Canine Lymphoma: Canine lymphoma is a common cancer in dogs, with an estimated incidence rate of 20 to 100 cases per 100,000 dogs. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment; a doxorubicin-based multidrug protocol is usually the standard of care. Complete remission is common in most dogs and lasts a median period of 7-10 months, resulting in a median survival of 10-14 months. Unfortunately, most lymphomas become drug-resistant, and developing treatments to reverse drug resistance or alternative treatment modalities (e.g., immunotherapy and targeted therapy) is a significant unmet need. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are developing a new anti-cancer antibody targeting CCR4. This chemokine receptor is overexpressed in T-cell lymphomas and is responsible for growth and metastasis. The inventors have used mice to generate a dog-specific CCR4 monoclonal antibody for detecting the disease as well as treatment. 

   

• 2023-536 c-KIT Monoclonal Antibodies for Detecting and Treating Canine Mast Cell Tumors: Mast cell tumors (MCTs) occur frequently in animals, representing up to 20% of all cutaneous canine tumors usually occurring in older dogs (> 8 years). MCTs range from relatively benign to extremely aggressive, leading to metastasis and eventual death from systemic disease. Unfortunately, even with standard-of-care treatments, many dogs succumb to the disease. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are developing a new anti-cancer antibody targeting c-KIT. c-KIT is a proto-oncogene that encodes the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT and is involved in the growth and progression of MCTs dogs. The inventors used mice to generate a dog-specific c-KIT monoclonal antibody for detecting the disease as well as treatment.

Applications

• Treatment as a monotherapy or in combination with standard-of-care therapies for canine lymphoma. 
• Diagnosis of canine lymphomas 

• Treatment as a monotherapy or in combination with standard-of-care therapies for canine MCTs. 
• Diagnosis of canine MCTs.

Features/Benefits

• A monoclonal antibody that specifically targets lymphomas expressing CCR4 to decrease growth and migration. The antibody can also be used as a diagnostic tool to determine if a dog has CCR4 lymphoma. 
• A monoclonal antibody that specifically targets c-KIT to decrease the growth and migration of MCTs. The antibody can also be used as a diagnostic tool to determine if a dog has a mast cell tumor.
• Treatments in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy may improve survival and morbidity.