Gaining on glioblastoma

Gaining on glioblastoma


Glioblastoma, the deadliest of brain cancers in people, recently took the life of Sen. John McCain, and it felled Sen. Ted Kennedy before him. And, as so often happens, man’s best friend suffers from a similar cancer.

Researchers are exploring therapeutic regimens for glioblastoma, which is notoriously tough to treat. At the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, dogs with canine glioblastoma are receiving an experimental drug that’s injected directly into the tumor. The goal is to kill tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue nearby.

Results have been impressive enough to garner study funding through the National Institutes of Health. The hope is that successful treatment of glioblastoma in dogs can yield similar results in their 2-legged buddies.

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