The Animal Clinical Investigation is enrolling dogs in a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate a monoclonal antibody (AT-005)
that is conditionally licensed by the USDA to aid in
the treatment of dogs with lymphoma. If you’re like me, you might be wondering what the “woof” is a monoclonal antibody, so I did a bit of digging around and will offer this very simple explanation.
I’ll start with antibodies. An antibody is a protein produced by the body’s immune system when it detects harmful substances called antigens. Antigens may be a foreign substance from the environment such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses, or pollen, and may also be formed within the body as well.
One of the ways the immune system attacks foreign substances in the body is by making large numbers of antibodies. Antibodies circulate in the body until they find and attach to the antigen, and once attached, they can enlist other parts of the immune system to destroy the cells containing the antigen.
Now for the monoclonal antibodies. Researchers have learned how to design antibodies that specifically target a certain antigen. These monoclonal antibodies are produced in a laboratory and are molecules that mimic the antibodies your body naturally produces as part of your immune system’s response to germs, vaccines and other invaders. Because they are carefully engineered to attach to specific defects, they can be used to treat many diseases, including some types of cancer.
The ACI study is designed to assess the benefit of adding AT-005 to a multi-agent chemotherapy protocol for dogs with intermediate to high grade T-cell lymphoma. For a complete listing of the veterinary oncology centers that are offering this clinical trial, and to see if your dog qualifies, please visit the Open Trials page at Animal Clinical Investigation.
