CAR T cell and verdinexor therapy for treatment of brain cancer in dogs

Background and purpose of the trial

Every year, about three out of every 100 dogs are diagnosed with a brain tumor. Of those, many have a kind of brain tumor called a glioma. These are the second most common type of brain tumor in dogs, but they’re also the toughest to treat. That’s where this study comes in! Veterinary and pediatric researchers have been working together to find better ways to fight cancer in dogs. One promising area is immunotherapy, which helps a dog’s body fight cancer on its own.

This study is looking at a special type of immunotherapy called CAR T cell therapy. By taking a relatively small amount of blood from a dog, we can remove some of the T cells, which are the fighter cells of the immune system, and give them an upgrade by attaching the CAR protein to them. We then will inject the upgraded CAR T cells back into the dog so that they can attack the the glioma cancer cells. To help this treatment, we will also be giving dogs a new type of chemotherapy, called verdinexor, which has shown promising results in lymphoma in dogs.

This kind of treatment has worked well in kids with brain tumors, but no one has tried it in dogs before. This is a groundbreaking study because it will be the first to test CAR T cells and verdinexor as a treatment for gliomas in dogs!

Study design

This study will last for four months with frequent visits to the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. After a brain tumor is initially confirmed on MRI, the dog will come in for an initial appointment with the neurology clinical trials team. This appointment will be followed by a series of appointments which will include immunodepletion, CAR T cell injection, a brain biopsy and second CAR T cell injection, and a recheck MRI three months after the first CAR T cell injection. Chemotherapy treatment will be continued until the tumor is no longer responsive to it.

Owner responsibilities

• responsible for the initial diagnostic MRI to determine eligibility
• able to make frequent trips to Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• willing to give their dog oral chemotherapy twice weekly
• willing to allow their dog to undergo a brain biopsy
• be able to complete weekly survey on the phone

Financial obligation and incentives

The pet owner will only need to pay $1,000 at the start of the study to cover the cost of one of the medications being used. After that, the study will pay for the biopsy, treatments, and all other medications needed as part of the trial. This includes covering the cost of the chemotherapy throughout the rest of the dog’s life.