Research Proposal

Michelle Chen
Intern Mentor
2018
Title: ​ Fido’s Fetching for a Cure: Treating Canine and Human Cancer with Immunotherapy
Project Overview/Objections:
This research will study the impact of immunotherapy on canine cancers and evaluate the
effectiveness of immunotherapy against other cancer therapies. The research will also consist of
utilizing comparative oncology in order to research the impact of canine treatments on human
cancers. The research will be consisted of interviews with veterinary oncologists and data
analysis of present immunotherapy clinical research. I am interested in creating a comprehensive
website in order to advocate for the use of immunotherapy in canine cancer cases and also
advocate for the application of comparative oncology. I hope to distribute my product to pet
owners and veterinarians in order to encourage and guide the idea of approaching
immunotherapy.

Background and History of the Issue:

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that comes in the form of an injectable
vaccine. Immunotherapy aims to boosts the body’s natural biological defenses in order to located
and attack cancerous cells. The treatment does this by altering DNA sequences in order to
convince the body to create more b cells and proteins that help to alert the body of cancer cells.
Immunotherapy can also be administered with man made proteins as well. These proteins will
bind to tumor sights and send a signal to the body’s immune system to create more antibodies,
t-cells, and macrophages. These cells will treat cancer cells as a foreign invader and destroy them
phagocytosis. Immunotherapy is currently still in clinical research, but results have concluded
that in administering the vaccine, tumors in majority of dogs shrank and life expectancies were
extended.
Immunotherapy has been more recently connected to comparative oncology.
Comparative oncology is a form of research study that utilizes information collected from canine
oncologists and applying the same treatment in humans. Oncologists have recognized the fact
that dogs and humans share up to 90% of similar genetic sequences and therefore the transfer of
treatment methods between species is viable. This joint research was created out a need for better
cancer treatments in humans, considering human clinical trials have a notoriously low success
rate.

Rationale:
Millions of dogs and humans are diagnosed with cancer each year, but there still is not a
specific cancer treatment that has been considered suitable for many patients. Immunotherapy,
although still in clinical research, may be able to play a key role in cancer research and benefit
humans as well. Immunotherapy has so far proven to dramatically shrink tumors and expand life
expectancies with less side effects than the typical chemotherapy treatment. The application of
immunotherapy in veterinary clinics could mean saving the lives of thousands of dogs. Once
immunotherapy is more widely introduced, humans oncologists will be able to use the research
conducted in order to apply the treatment methods on humans cancers.

Research Methodology

Research Question and Hypothesis

● Can immunotherapy be more effective in shrinking tumors in dogs than
chemotherapy or surgery? Can humans benefit from this research?
● Canines with cancer receive a better quality of life when treated with
immunotherapy.
Basis of Hypothesis
In clinical research, immunotherapy has proved itself to be effective in shrinking
and destroying tumors with very little side effects and without the requirement of extra
maintenance. Multiple studies have been able to corroborate the results and because of
this, many human oncologists are showing interest in applying this treatment on human
patients. When immunotherapy is applied to mainstream medicine, more dogs and
humans will be able to benefit from the treatment. I want to make immunotherapy known
amongst veterinarians and owners in order to make the treatment more available for those
diagnosed with cancer. I want to follow the current clinical research being conducted and
use its data to present to pet owners and oncologists.

Research Design
I will be conducting correlational qualitative research. I will interview professionals to
gain medical opinions and will as well analyze clinical research being conducted in multiple
universities. Using this information, I can keep up to date with the current prognosis of
immunotherapy and get a consensus of what the local veterinary community thinks about
immunotherapy. I also hope to understand the logistics of applying immunotherapy in a local
clinic and if it could be applied successfully in a clinic within the near future. Using the
information I collected, I hope to expose my research to those who are still unaware of
immunotherapy.

Operational Definitions
Comparative oncology -​ The comparison of naturally inhibiting cancers within different
species.
 Immunotherapy ​- Cancer treatment that utilizes the natural immune system in order to
fight cancer
Antibodies - ​ Blood protein used to fight alien substances in the body.
Macrophages - ​Mobile white cells that are usually used to fight infections.
T- Cells -​ Cells produced from the lymph nodes used in an immune response.
B- Cells -​ Cells that produce antibodies.
Phagocytosis -​ Method of ingesting bacteria.
Oncology ​- The study of cancer and cancer treatments.

Logistical Considerations:
The major logical consideration within this research is mostly due to the fact that clinical
research is still in session and therefore there is a limited amount of data available for
immunotherapy. A good majority of veterinarians are still unaware of immunotherapy and may
be only able to provide insight on if the biology behind the treatment is viable. This could make
interviewing professionals outside of the local community difficult, as researchers may not be
allowed to release current information. By the end of my research, although, I hope to have
enough information to at least inform pet owners and veterinarians about immunotherapy and
maybe less so why they should consider it over other cancer treatment methods.

Final Product:
I hope to create a product such as a website in order to bring more awareness to both
veterinarians and pet owners about immunotherapy. I want to incorporate the benefits of
immunotherapy in one source so that more people in my community can consider the use of this
new cancer treatment.